Behind Those Eyes
by AmericanIdiot252
Summary: Tangled love lives, humor,new friends, death, and a mysterious past. This year is truly...complicated for the 7th year Hufflepuffsparticularly one Cedric Diggory, and a mysterious Head Girl. Dedicated to my best friend Catherine.
1. Nobody Understands Him

Behind Those Eyes

Summary: Cedric Diggory is Head Boy&Quidditch Captain.He's got it all going for him,right? Wrong!He's missing a little something in the relationship dept.When he is attracted to a mysterious girl, he tries to get to know her.But she is hiding a secret from him...Dedicated to my friend Catherine.

Chapter 1: Nobody Understands Him 

Cedric Diggory was on the Hogwarts Express, happy to be going back to his favorite place on Earth. Hogwarts! _My last year here...I can't believe it. Time passed by so fast. But I'm going to make this year worthwhile...And I'm going to have fun!_

After all, he had been informed by owl that he was the Had Boy AND Quidditch Captain. Could things get any better than that? However, he couldn't help but feel a part of him missing, and he struggled to recognize what.

"So, have a good summer, Ced?" He was shaken out of his stupor. "What? Oh, yeah...It was ok...a bit lonely, though..."

His friends smirked at him. "So, plan on going out with anybody in particular this year?" Cedric shook his head. "Not really...I mean most of the girls I've dated have mostly been flings. Nothing lasting. They've all been self-absorbed sluts who ask me to sleep with them. Which I haven't," he replied, seeing some of the sly winks sent his way.

"Honestly, guys...you know I'm not like that. I want to date a girl who is smart...has a sense of humor...is witty...a little mysterious, you know because I like a challenge...and pretty, too. But it's whats on the inside that counts. I want to have a serious relationship...something meaningful this year. Maybe I'll even love a girl. Who knows?" He tried to picture a girl matching all those descriptions, but his mind drew a blank.

He looked at his friends, who were struggling not to laugh. Only 1 of his friends, Luke, looked at him with a serious face. "What's so funny?" Besides Luke, they all burst out laughing. Luke patted his shoulder. "They're gits, they don't understand anything...I understand what you mean..." Cedric sighed. _How have I been friends with most of these idiots for all these years? Nobody understands me...Which is why I want a girlfriend...Maybe she'd understand me..._

"I'm going to go get some candy," he said, looking over to the end of the train. He left the compartment, disgusted with his friends, and lost deep in thought.

Meanwhile, while this all took place, 2 girls were slowly becoming friends.

A girl opened the compartment door. "Is it ok if I sit here?" Catherine nodded, engrossed in her book. "Hi. My name's Gohar...what's yours?" "Catherine," the girl responded without looking away from the book.

"I'm new here, how about you?" Catherine sighed, annoyed with the stupid girl interrupting her from her book.

"I'm new too, so I can't help you with anything, ok?" Gohar nodded. "Ok. But since we're both new, I reckon you need a friend..."

Catherine looked up suddenly. "I'd like that," Catherine whispered softly. "You're the first person to talk to me, you know? Everyone I've met so far, especially the girls, are mean. They just ignore you, and pass by you like you're not even there. And they're all such snobs...So, you're my first friend here at Hogwarts. I'm from New York, what about you?"

"I'm an aussie! I'm from Australia! I moved because my parents wanted me to have the best education, so I moved here to London. My parents and little sister are back in Australia. I miss it already. Surfing, boxing with the kangaroos-" Catherine laughed. "You boxed with the kangaroos?"

"Of course! When I was bored, I would. Of course, they would always win, but it was still a lot of fun..." They laughed together.

"I miss New York, too. My parents, both wizards, are still there, along with my 8-yr old sister Samantha, and my 4-yr old brother Joey. But I couldn't stay," she added in a hushed whisper.

"Why did you leave?"

Catherine looked up sadly. "That-is something I am not willing to talk about yet-sorry...I just can't..."

Gohar nodded. "It's ok. I understand." The compartment was full of silence for a few moments. "Dumbledore told me I'm in Hufflepuff...what House are you in?" Catherine smiled a half-smile. "I'm in Hufflepuff, too! That's good...we'll be together!"

Gohar stared at Catherine for a while. "You're very pretty, you know that?" She smiled shyly. "Thanks." Catherine had black hair that was wavy, yet straight too. It fell down about 6 inches beneath her shoulders. She had dark brown eyes, and tan skin.

Catherine took this time to look at Gohar. She had straight brown hair, with long bangs that she had combed back. Her hair went down to the middle of her back. She had dark brown eyes. She had white skin, but it was tanned slightly, like she had been outside for hours during the summer. "You're pretty, too." Gohar smiled. "Thanks."

"So...Hannibal, eh? I had a friend who once read that book, she loved it!"

Catherine pointed to the guy on the cover. "He turns me on..." Gohar raised her eyebrows, and they laughed as they made eye contact.

"Oh! There's the trolley, I'm going to go get some candy for us, ok?" Catherine got up, and exited the compartment. She went towards the woman who was a few compartments away, going towards the front of the train.

"Excuse me! Wait up!" Catherine ran towards the woman. She stopped by the woman, out of breath. She looked at the several kinds of candy. "Well, I guess I'll take 1 bag of Bertie Bott's and 5 Chocolate Frogs." The woman nodded. "Here you go, dear," the woman said, and gave Catherine the candy.

"2 Bertie Botts, and 3 Chocolate Frogs, please," said a voice behind her. Catherine jumped, and turned around to see a boy looking at her, smiling. "Hi," he said slowly. "Um...hi," she said. She grabbed hold of her candy and ran all the way back to her compartment, shaken. _I've got to learn to trust people. All he said was hi, and what do I do? I run away like an idiot!_

She went back to her compartment, and shared the candy with Gohar. Together, they ate the candy. When they were done, Gohar looked out the window. "Wow," she said. "We're here!

Catherine and Gohar pressed their noses on the window, and looked at the beautiful sight in front of them. They had arrived at Hogwarts.

A/N: Please review & tell me what you think!


	2. Welcome To Hogwarts!

**Behind Those Eyes**

A/N:Thanks to all reviewers! Keep on reviewing please!

**

* * *

**

Summary: Cedric Diggory is Head Boy&Quidditch Captain.He's got it all going for him,right? Wrong!He's missing a little something in the relationship dept.When he is attracted to a mysterious girl, he tries to get to know her.But she is hiding a secret from him...Dedicated to my friend Catherine.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Welcome to Hogwarts!**

Catherine and Gohar, along with many other students, got off as the train came to a stop. "Let's go!" They grabbed each other's hands, so as not to lose each other, and looked around for a means of transportation to the huge castle.

"There's some carriages over there," Gohar said, pointing to her left. As they stood in line, they watched the carriages get closer. "Cool! They're pulled by nothing! They're horseless!" Catherine had been lost in thought, but when she heard Gohar's comment, she drew her attention back to the carriages.

They were not, as Gohar had said, horseless. The carriages were being fulled by big, black, fleshless creatures with skeletal wings that looked like they belonged to a bat. Their white eyes stared at the students as they pulled up to them.

"Thestrals," Catherine whispered hoarsely. "Aren't thestrals seen only to people who have seen death?" "Yep," she replied sadly. A raindrop fell on her head, and, as the rain intensified, Gohar didn't notice the addition of teardrops mixing with the raindrops on her face.

They entered a carriage. Catherine slid in next to Gohar on one side of the carriage. "Is it ok if we sit here?" They turned toward the open carriage door, where 3 students were standing. "Sure," Catherine said. The 3 students entered the carriage and sat down.

One of them, the one who had spoken, was a boy. A rather handsome boy, in Gohar's opinion. He had messy brown hair with green eyes and glasses. The other boy had many freckles and red hair. The 3rd person was a girl, with brown eyes, and curly brown hair.

"Hi. I'm Harry Potter. These are my best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Catherine turned to Gohar, who, for the time that Catherine had known her, was apparently at a loss for words for the first time. "I'm Catherine, and this is Gohar." Gohar waved shyly at them, muttering 'hi'.

With amusement, Catherine watched Harry and Gohar eye each other with interest. "What House are you guys in?" Hermione asked. "Well, me and Gohar have both transferred here from different countries. She's from Australia, and I'm from New York in America. Dumbledore told us that we're both in Hufflepuff. How about you?" "Gryffindor," they chorused. "Aww," Gohar said, talking for the first time. "You guys seem so cool. It would be fun to hang out with you guys all the time." Harry smiled. "We can still hang out, despite the house difference," he said. "He's right. Inter-house relationship is important," Hermione added. The carriage lurched to a stop, and the 5 of them got out, entering the castle. They stood in front of the Great Hall.

* * *

The Great Hall was indescribable. Since there were gold banners and streamers on the walls, along with candles floating in the air, the Hall looked like it had an enchanted glow. There were 4 long tables full of children, and a few ghosts milling about. Next to each table, hanging from the walls, were banners. Next to the Gryffindor table was a red banner with a lion. Next to the Ravenclaw table was a blue banner with an eagle. Next to the Slytherin table was a green banner with a serpent. And..."There's the Hufflepuff table," Gohar pointed out. This banner was yellow with a badger. On the other side of the hall was a table full of adults which Catherine presumed to be the teachers.

"Well, see you later, I guess," Gohar said sadly. "Bye, Ron, Hermione, and...Harry," she added shyly. "Bye Catherine and Gohar, we'll definitely see you soon," Ron said, looking at the grin on Harry's face. The 3 of them headed off to the Gryffindor table, while Catherine and Gohar sat down at the end of the Hufflepuff table(which was unoccupied), and began to talk, waiting for the feast to start.

"You like him, don't you?"

Gohar looked up at Catherine, confused. "Like who?"

"Don't play dumb. You like Harry Potter, admit it!"

"No, I don't," Gohar said half-heartedly.

"I haven't known you for too long, but you seem like a really bad liar! You guys were flirting with each other!"

"No we weren't. We just...looked at each other. Not like I kissed him or sat in his lap or something!"

"Gohar...you're an idiot! That IS flirting! You like him, admit it."

"I surrender," Gohar said, holding up her hands. "Happy?"

Catherine laughed. "Yes. Now you gotta go out with him!"

"I can't...I'm really shy around boys. I mean, I'm 17, and I haven't even had a proper kiss," she admitted, blushing.

"That will all change soon," Catherine said, rubbing her hands evilly.

They continued to talk as someone approached their table.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cedric was seating at the Hufflepuff table with his friends, bored. He looked up at the entrance, impatiently waiting for the first years to get there. He saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrive at the entrance, along with 2 unfamiliar girls. One of them in particular caught his eye.

As the 2 unfamiliar girls made their way towards him, he realized they had to be in Hufflepuff. _Why haven't I seen them around before? Especially if they're in Hufflepuff...?_

The 2 girls passed him, and went to an empty table on the other side of the Hufflepuff table. They both seemed intriguing, but the girl with the black hair had caught his heart. As she had passed by, he had felt enchanted: by her hair, her eyes, her half-smile, and the way she held her head up with pride as she walked. His head turned as they went and sat down.

He looked back at his table, and sighed. _Something about that girl...makes me feel light-headed...I can't explain it. But she seems...different from the 90 of giggling idiots I've dated...Definitely need to talk to her! _He glanced at his table, and realized nobody would care if he left. His friends were getting a bit annoying, actually. He got up and went over to the table the girls were sitting at. He sat next to the black-haired girl, and across from the brown-haired girl.

"HeLLOOO, ladies!" The brown-haired girl smiled at him, but (to his disappointment) the black-haired girl didn't so much as chance a glance at him. Her hair had sweeped forward, so he couldn't see her face. "I'm surprised I haven't seen you girls around before...especially since you're in Hufflepuff...that's quite odd, actually."

"We're new. I'm from Australia, and she's from New York, in America," the brown-haired girl said. "I'm Gohar, and that's Catherine." _So her name's Catherine..._

"I'm Cedric. Cedric Diggory. Glad to be of service," he said, smiling.

"And what services do you provide, Mr. Diggory?" Cedric paused for a second, then realized that Catherine had finally spoken. Her voice was full of teasing and...mystery. _I like solving mysteries..._

She turned her head to face him, and she jumped slightly when she saw his face. _It's him!_

"Oh my god! It's you!"

"It's me," he said with amusement.

"You're that guy on the train!"

"On the train," he repeated.

"I'm SO SORRY I ran away...I feel like such an idiot right now!"

"It's ok...sorry I scared you a bit."

She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her, for Cedric could see they looked sad.

"It's ok...Well anyways...um...I'm Catherine! And you're Cedric..._I feel like an idiot right now!_...So, tell us about yourself, Cedric."

Gohar laughed, eyeing Catherine. _And she was going on about ME liking a guy, eh? LOOK WHO'S TALKING!_

"Well, I've been here since first year. I'm in Hufflepuff. I've lived in London my whole life with my mother and father, both wizards. No siblings. For my classes: I like defense against the dark arts the best, along with charms and herbology, and my least favorite is potions. I like reading books, listening to music, playing quidditch...um...yeah I think that's it..."

"So, tell us about the teachers...what are they like?" Catherine grinned. "We need to know who to avoid and who's nice, and things like that, of course."

"Of course. Well, first there's-"

"May I have your attention please?" All the noise in the Great Hall ceased, and everybody looked up at the man who had spoken. "Dumbledore," Catherine whispered. He was in dazzling robes of midnight blue, and his silver hair and beard gleamed in the light.

"Welcome all, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts! There are some things I would like to address you about, but now is not the time. May the sorting begin!" He sat down, and a bunch of small, shivering students came into the Great Hall in a line, accompanied by a woman.

"That's Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, and our Transfiguration teacher," Cedric whispered. "She's strict, but nice, too." McGonagall brought forth a stool and hat. The hat's brim opened, and the Great Hall was full of song:

_Oh, you think I'm just a hat,_

_And leave it at that,_

_But I am much, much more,_

_For it is I who will decide which qualities you posess, _

_and in which House you will come to be!_

_It all started when 4 good friends united,_

_and decided to found this school,_

_To teach young witches and wizards,_

_Who learned to hone their magic,_

_And learned magic in other fields, as well!_

_There are 4 houses, each one different from the other:_

_Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff!_

_So put me on,_

_Which House will it be?_

_The one you will represent for eternity._

_Will it be Gryffindor, where the bold and brave dwell?_

_Or will it be Ravenclaw, where the smart excel?_

_Will it be Slytherin, where the sly purebloods stay?_

_Or will it be Hufflepuff, where the just and loyal lay?_

_So put me on, _

_For I'm just a hat,_

_Let's see where you belong...and let's leave it at that!_

Applause echoed throughout the Great Hall. Slowly, the line diminished as the students one by one put on the hat and discovered which House they were in.

Finally, as the last student Ziganda, Leslie(Slytherin), was sorted, Dumbledore stood up again. "Tuck in!" For in front of them, foods of all kinds had appeared.

They continued to talk as they ate.

"So, what classes are you taking?" Cedric said.

"First of all the basics: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, History of Magics, Charms,Astronomy, and Herbology. Besides that, I'm taking Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and...Muggle Studies," Catherine said, saying the last class with uncertainty.

"I'm taking the basics, along with Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy," Gohar said. "What do you take, Cedric?"

"I take the basics, Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, and Ancient Runes. So I'll be with both of you in every class except Divination. And Gohar, you'll be-he said with emphasis-all alone in Arithmancy."

Gohar sighed. "Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to do without you,"she said, laughing.

"Tell us what the teachers are like," Catherine said, smiling too.

"Well, they say that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position is cursed, because nobody has taken the post for a year. So, we'll have a new teacher, I expect-"

Suddenly, the doors open and somebody walked over to Dumbledore in ragged robes. Dumbledore stood up. "May I present the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mr. Lupin, who has agreed to take up this post again?" There was great applause from every student except the Slytherins. "He's a great teacher," Cedric whispered. "One of the best I've ever had." Lupin waved, and took a seat next to Dumbledore.

Cedric continued talking about the teachers.

"Well, Lupin is nice, and understanding. Transfiguration teacher, as I said before, is McGonagall, who is nice, but strict. Behave in her classes, pay attention, and you'll do fine. Potions is a morbid class. Snape teaches it-he pointed to a pale man with greasy hair who was scowling at Lupin-and he's AWFUL. Docks points off everyone except his own House, which is Slytherin. Just don't talk back or he'll give you detention the whole year. History of Magic is BORING. The teacher is Professor Binns, who just reads his notes, and expects us to copy them. Everybody falls asleep. I don't know how I manage to pass that class, actually," he said, scratching his head.

The 3 of them laughed, and Cedric continued.

"Charms is an entertaining class, one of my favorites. Teacher is Flitwick, he's a nice guy. Herbology teacher is Professor Sprout, she's head of Hufflepuff. She's nice, and the class is interesting. Care of Magical Creatures is a fun class, just be careful you don't get your head bitten off. Teacher is Hagrid, who's also the Gamekeeper." Cedric pointed to a big man with black bushy hair and beard. They gasped. "He's HUGE," Catherine whispered.

"Hagrid's cool. Astronomy is a bit confusing, when you have to find the positions of planets, and such. Professor Sinatra is a good teacher, too. Muggle Studies...it's an ok class, a bit confusing for me sometimes, I don't understand how Muggles can live without magic. And the teacher is a good teacher. And Arithmancy...don't take it. Sorry, Gohar."

She smiled. "That's ok. I'll find out how the teacher is by myself."

They continued to talk, and realized just how much they had in common, which was a lot. Time passed by so quickly, that five minutes later (at least that's how quick they felt it was), that Dumbledore stood up again.

"I trust you have all ate your fill. It is getting late, and I want you to be alert for your classes tomorrow morning. But first, there are a few things I must say. The Forbidden Forest, as I must tell you time and time again, is out-of-bounds for EVERY STUDENT. Also, there have been many additions to Filch's list of what is banned. If you need to check, you may see the list taped to his door. Congratulations to the Quidditch Captains, Prefects, and Heads. Good night!"

* * *

Almost at once, every student stood up and began to make their way out of the door. "Well, I got to go...I got to go do-something," Catherine said, and made her way through the crowd. Cedric tried to remember what it had said on his letter. It had said that the Head Boy and Girl would share quarters on...the third floor across from the statue of Phineas Nigellus, he remembered with a jolt. He walked up the staircases and found the statue. According to his letter, the Heads' Quarters should be behind the painting of two people: a witch and a wizard. On his letter, it had said the password was 'spearmint'.

He approached the painting. As the letter had stated, two people were in it. One was a pretty witch with stunning long black hair. The other was a wizard, who was staring at the witch in a lovesick way. _Guess those 2 fancy each other._ "Spearmint," he said. "Indeed," they both replied, and the painting sprung open to reveal a grand sight. Cedric stepped in.

"Wow!" On his right was a door, which he opened. It was apparently a bathroom. Inside, as in all bathrooms, was a sink, shower, and toilet. There were towels on racks, and soaps, along with shampoo and conditioner, on the sink. That wasn't why he was amazed. After all, that would be your average bathroom, right? In the middle of the bathroom was a HUGE jacuzzi,(big enough to fit about 5 people in it) with different taps around it.

He stepped out of the bathroom, and looked in front of him. In front of him was apparently a living room. There was a fireplace in between two doors on the left. There were 3 couches on the right, with pillows. In between each couch was a small table with a small drawer, and a lamp on it.

In front of one of the couches (the one in the middle) was a big table where they could probably do homework. In the right corner of the room (the one closest to him) was a counter, and what looked like a mini-kitchen. There were a few cabinets, and a fridge, along with a small stove and microwave.

He moved to the door closest to him on the left and entered. In the room was a big bed, with two dressers, a desk, bookcase, and a lamp on the desk. On the right of him was another room-_I guess we have joining bedrooms_-and he entered this room. It was the same as the previous bedroom. He saw his trunk in the room at the foot of the bed and realized that this was meant to be his room. _Makes no difference to me, they look the same anyway. _He changed out of his robes into black sweats and a dark blue shirt. He pulled out a book from his trunk, and went into the living room to read. _I wonder who the Head Girl is...

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Catherine wasn't used to the staircases, and she walked up one tiredly, hoping it wouldn't move anytime soon. (Which it did repeatedly in the past 5 minutes.)

FINALLY, she got to the third floor, looking for a statue. She finally saw a statue labeled Phineas Nigellus on the bottom. She looked across and saw a painting of two people. They were both drinking what looked like firewhiskey, and were sitting VERY close to each other.

"Um...spearmint?" They looked at her and hiccuped. "Indeed, my girl," the wizard said, and the witch giggled, batting her eyelashes at the wizard. The painting flung open, and she stepped into where she would be staying for the year. _I don't know what's worse-having a Head Boy who's the nicest guy in the world, or the biggest jerk? I'll just keep my distance, so what happened last time WONT happen again..._

She moved closer in, and her eyes adjusted to the dark. "Nice place," she observed. Suddenly, she noticed she was not alone. She looked onto a couch to see Cedric sprawled over it, reading in a focused way. "Cedric? YOU-you're Head Boy?" _It's ok if it's Cedric, at least I know him. I just...can't get attached._ Cedric looked up, and fell off the couch. "Catherine? You're Head Girl?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" They both asked at the same time.

"Didn't think it was worth mentioning.Didn't want to draw attention to it," they both replied once again.

He grinned, then remembered he was on the floor, and got up.

"So, madam, would you like a tour?" He offered her his arm as he walked up to her.

"Of course, monsieur," she replied, giving her arm to him, and they walked to the bathroom. After that he showed her in detail the kitchen and living room, along with their bedrooms.

They entered Catherine's bedroom, and she sat down on her bed. Cedric followed suit."So this is my bedroom?" Cedric nodded. "Yup. See your trunk's at the foot of your bed," he replied.

"Ok," she said. "I don't feel like unpacking right now...but we have classes in the morning...Well, I'll do it tomorrow night." She looked at Cedric. "Just to let you know I'm a big procrastinator. So have fun planning things with me this year," she added.

"I'm a procrastinator, too, so we'll procrastinate together!" They laughed.

She noticed that they were sitting awfully close, and she felt something stir inside of her. _No, no, no, no! No memories! Not now! Leave me alone!_ She pushed her memories and feelings to the back of her mind.

"So, what kind of stuff are we going to do this year?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I think we might have to patrol corridors, plan meetings between us and the Prefects, look over things being carried out, and last year there were a few dances, so maybe we have to coordinate those. A year full of fun," he said.

Catherine yawned, and looked at the time. "We should go to bed, if we want to be awake for classes tomorrow."

He nodded and said, "Warning: I'm not a morning person. If I seem grumpy in any way, it's nothing you did. I'm more of a night guy."

She nodded. "Thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind."

He got up. "Well...good night, Catherine. I'm happy that someone I like is Head Girl, not some self-absorbed snob or whatever..."

She smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad you're Head Boy, someone I know...Night."

He left, and the feeling stirred in her stomach again. She felt her heart beat unusually. _I can't..._

She changed into her pajamas, and laid down into bed.

_Remember what happened last time...I can't risk it again...Memories, go away!_

The memories of the past flooded into her mind, and she had the same restless nights she had been having for a month.

* * *

**Next Chapter: The introduction of two new exciting characters, and the 1st day of classes!**

**Please review, and tell me what you think!**


	3. A Day of Heartfelt Emotions

Behind Those Eyes

Chapter 3: A Day of Heartfelt Emotions

Summary: Tangled love lives, humor,new friends, death, and a mysterious past. This year is truly...complicated for the 7th year Hufflepuffs-particularly one Cedric Diggory, and a mysterious Head Girl. Dedicated to my best friend Catherine.

* * *

**:AUTHORS NOTE:**

Made a new summary. I think it's better. Thanks to all my loyal readers & reviewers for waiting this long! I am so sorry it took this long! I think it's worth it though, it's pretty long. There's some people I need to say thanks to for helping me with this chapter.

**Readers & Reviewers:** You know who you are! Its all worth it in the end to read your reviews and happy reactions at the joy of reading another chapter! Keep reviewing!

**Catherine:** You are my inspiration. You are the point of this story! Duh, I wrote it for you! Thanks for helping me with ideas and details, and not losing heart in the story b.c it took so long to write. -goofy grin x987654321- I shall never forget our phone convos about this story. Omg, as I write this, the song I kept singing in schoolis playing. 'turn off the lights, etc'...im in love. ) lol

**Christina:** Thanks for helping me with some of the ideas and details. It was a lot of fun writing you into the story. It's been fun thinking about future 'awkward moments' between you and a little someone..hehe...

**Katie:** MY CRAZY PADFOOT! Where would I be without you? I had a lot of fun writing you in as well...Had a lot of laughs.

**Christina & Catherine:** For threatening me if I didn't finish this story by this weekend. Which I did...muahaha! You can't kill me now! I deserve a long break until the next chapter.

**Larab:** Yeah, you don't read this story, but you did help protect me from threatening people lol when I told you I was going to get torched, and your response was -puts flame out and throws torch in closet- Thanks for saving me!

**Without further adeu-here is the long awaited Chapter 3 of Behind Those Eyes! **

**A Day of Heartfelt Emotions**

Catherine sat on the couch, reading a book and eating a cookie. It was too early to go down to the Great Hall. She always woke up early because subconsciously, she was always plagued by bad dreams. She pushed these thoughts away and continued to read, taking another cookie from the tray next to her.

About an hour and a half later, Catherine heard a bang, followed by a muffled yell. She looked up from her book and looked at Cedric's door. When a few seconds had passed, she heard a smaller bang, followed by a curse. "Dammit! That hurt!" The door opened, and Catherine stuffed her hand into her mouth to prevent laughing.

He shuffled out of the bedroom, a scowl on his face. His hair was tousled, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Good morning," she said brightly. "Mmph," he said. He walked over towards the bathroom, and slammed the door. She heard water and concluded that he was taking a shower. She continued to read her book, smiling slightly, although she had no clue why._ Something about him makes me smile..._She closed the book, unable to concentrate. She sat there in silence, thinking.

The object of her thoughts opened the bathroom door and entered the room. Catherine stared at him, her mouth open. His scowl was gone, replaced by a smile. His hair was wet, and some water still clung to it, slowly dripping down his neck and chest. Oh, his chest. It was PERFECT. It was toned, rippled with muscles, along with his arms. A towel hugged his waist.

He looked at her and laughed, realizing what she was staring at.

"Liking what you see, eh?" She looked at him, speechless.

"It comes from playing Quidditch my whole life," he said, gesturing to his chest.

_Thank God for Quidditch..._She smiled at him, closing her mouth sensibly. He sat down next to her, and she felt her cheeks heat up. He was merely inches from her, and she could have sworn she could feel his body heat warming her. She shuddered in a good way.

_God, he's..._"beautiful," she whispered. Unfortunately, he heard her. Both of them turned slightly red. They sat there, looking at each other. She noticed how close they were getting, and abruptly stood up. "I-er...I should go change..." She was unable to meet his eyes, and could feel her cheeks burning up. "Um, right." He got up and went into his room, his face showing mortification. She went into her room and sighed as she changed.

_How could I allow this to happen? We almost kissed...It's disrespecting HIM_(A/N:HIM DOESNT REFER TO CEDRIC, IT REFERS TO SOMEONE ELSE IN HER PAST)_completely! I couldn't help it...And from the look of it, he wanted to kiss me too...I don't know what to do...and it's only the first day of term._ Little did she know that the day was just beginning.

Catherine opened the bedroom door, and headed towards the painting. Cedric's door opened and he joined her silently. They walked down the staircases quietly. "I'm sorry," they blurted out simulataneously. Catherine stopped walking. "What are you sorry for?"

"I don't want to pressure you to do anything you don't want to do. But I'll tell you this straight out. I like you. Even if you don't return it." Catherine felt a creature stir inside of her. "But you barely know me. There's a LOT you don't know about me." He took a step closer to her. "I know. But I want to get to know you." Tension cut the air like a knife. An awkward moment of silence followed.

"Oh..Ok...But can we just be friends? I mean, get to know me before you decide to like me." He smiled. "Friends. Ok." And the awkwardness lifted. They were friends. Just like last night. Everything was ok. But images of him in a towel kept popping into her mind...

* * *

They walked down to the Great Hall, to the Hufflepuff table. "Cedric!" A table full of guys beckoned to him. "See you in class." He sat down. Catherine moved on to the last table, where Gohar was sitting. 

"Hey Catherine. Good morning!" Catherine plopped down next to Gohar. "Hey Gohar," she replied. She noticed that nobody was sitting across from them, leaving the view clear.

"You've been sitting here alone this whole time?" Gohar frowned. "Yeah. Some guys and girls came over to say hi, but left. They're all in their own cliques." She looked around. "Where's Cedric?" "With his friends at another table," she replied.

"So who was Head Boy?" Catherine smiled. "Cedric." Gohar smiled knowingly. "Cool." The continued to eat, taking a look around the Great Hall occasionally. "Who do you sleep with in your dorm?" "I don't know any of them yet. Everyone was asleep when I got there...I got lost," she said, explaining. They laughed.

"Oh, GOHAR," Catherine said in a sing-song voice.

Gohar turned to her, not meeting her eyes. "What?"

Catherine looked straight ahead. "Look who just showed up for breakfast..." Gohar looked to the entrance of the Great Hall. "Oh," she said and dropped her fork. She bent down to retrieve it and came back up, pink in the face.

At the entrance, scanning the Hall, was Harry, Ron, and Hermione, followed by two girls they didn't know. Harry's eyes went over to the Hufflepuff table, and he waved at Catherine and Gohar. They waved back. They looked back down to their food as they continued toward the Gryffindor table. Their heads snapped back up as they heard a loud yell.

"BYE SWEETIE!" Everyone looked up and began to laugh. The redheaded girl with them had spoken. To Ron, apparently. She kissed him on the lips and headed to the Hufflepuff table. The Great Hall rippled with laughter. Ron went to the Gryffindor table and sat down, his ears red, his face purple. Harry and Hermione followed, cracking up.

Slowly, the laughter died out, a few chuckles barely remaining. The Great Hall went back to normal, people talking with each other, the incident already forgotten. The redheaded girl sat down at their table, smiling goofily. "Hi. I'm Katie." A few seconds later, the other girl that had been in the group sat down next to Katie, and smacked her in the back of the head.

Katie winced. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"

The other girl scowled. "Do you always have to act like such an idiot? Can't you ever be normal? Or serious?"

"No. It's against my nature. And anyway, that's why you love me. And I can't be serious. That's Harry's godfather." Katie smiled.

The girl sighed, took a breath in, opening her mouth, then closing it.

Katie laughed. "Couldn't think of anything to say, could you?"

The girl laughed. "No." She turned to Catherine and Gohar. "Hi. I'm Christina. What's your names?"

"Gohar."

"Catherine." They explained how they were both new, and of their background.

Catherine scanned Christina and Katie up and down while they talked. They looked quite different from her and Gohar.

Katie had bright, long red hair that curled slightly at the bottom.(not red like reddish brown, red as in ORANGE...red like Weasley hair red-get the picture?) She had electric blue eyes, and white skin, decked with freckles. She smiled constantly, and, Catherine noted, had a lip ring.

"Well, I have-"

Catherine interrupted. There had been something odd about the way Katie spoke, but she hadn't been paying attention before.

"YOU'RE IRISH!"

Katie smiled. "That I be."

Catherine began to grin like an idiot. "Talk more! I love irish accents!"

The 4 of them laughed. "Ok. Well anyway. My background. I'm from Ireland. But I live in London. We go there on vacations to visit our many relatives. I have a older sister and brother. Patrick graduated four years ago, and Nora graduated last year. Neither of them are married yet. My parents are both wizards."

Gohar waited for her to continue. "Well?"

Katie looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Well what?"

"What was that whole kiss back there? Dish the dirt!"

Katie smiled. "Oh, THAT. Well, I've been dating Ron since 4th year. I love him..."

"We noticed," Catherine and Gohar chimed together.

"What about you?" Catherine asked Christina, who had been quiet almost the whole time.

Christina had straight, dyed dark red hair, and greenish-yellow eyes. She had white skin.

"Well, I'm from New York."

Catherine shrieked, and they all laughed.

"Somebody who understands what New York's all about. And somebody that doesn't have an accent," Catherine said, relieved.

"But you do," Katie and Gohar said.

"No, we don't," Catherine said.

"Yeah, we do. It doesn't feel like it to us because we both lived in New York, but Katie and Gohar are from other places and they feel it. Just like if they went to their countries and talked, they wouldn't think they had an accent. But they do to other people from other places," Christina explained.

"Ohhhh," they chorused.

"Thanks for the explanation. Well continue, Chris. Can I call you Chris?"

"Sure. Chris or Chrissy will do. Continuing on. I'm from New York. When I got my letter I came here, but my parents, sister, and brother are still there. My parents are both wizards. My sister Jessica, is 22, and married. My brother Jason, is 27, and married. He has two kids, who are two years apart. Their names are Victoria and Jason. They went to some wizarding school in New York...but I was chosen to come here. That's weird," she said scratching her head.

There was a silence as they contemplated the fact.

"Do you guys like any muggle bands?" Katie shot out. It looked like she had been wanting to say it for a while, from the expression on her face. Her eyes were popping out, a smile playing at her lips.

"I love Simple Plan," Christina said, also smiling.

"I'm obsessed with muggle and wizard rock music. And I love muggle movies and TV shows. They're so cool. I love muggles...Why, what would I do without Nirvana? Or Green Day? Or Sum 41? Or the Ramones? Or Incubus? Or Weezer? Or the Foo Fighters? Huh, huh, huh?"

Katie looked at them with a crazed expression. Catherine felt an immense liking towards Katie.

"I like Nirvana," she said slowly, although it pained her to say it. "My...friend bought me a bunch of muggle rock CDs once, and I've listened to each of them once or twice." A lie. Half her trunk upstairs was full of those CDs and she listened to them at night. Whenever she was depressed. Which was often.

Katie smiled. "Woohoo!" she yelled.

Christina laughed. "She gets like this whenever she talks about muggle music, or shows. Or when she talks about mass murderers. Or Ron," she added thoughtfully.

Catherine laughed. _Mass murderers? Ill ask her about that later. _"That's ok. I love muggle things, too. I've learned a lot about muggle things this past...year." The best year of her life. Until it all went wrong. Katie interrupted her thoughts.

"Schedules!" she said, passing them around.

Catherine glanced at her schedule, excitement catching hold of her.

_Transfiguration with Ravenclaws_

_History of Magic with Gryffindors_

_Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindors_

_Potions with Slytherins_

_Muggle Studies with Ravenclaws_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindors_

"Me and Katie have the same classes as you," Christina said, taking a look at Catherine's schedule.

Gohar was frowning, and Gohar looked at her schedule.

_Transfiguration with Ravenclaws_

_History of Magic with Gryffindors_

_Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindors_

_Potions with Slytherins_

_Arithmancy with Gryffindors_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindors_

"I"ll miss you during Arithmancy," Gohar said. After all, she had been her first friend. Catherine, however, was smiling. Gohar had overlooked something. She tapped her finger on the words written after Arithmancy. Gohar brightened up considerably.

"Oh, then that's ok," she said, smiling. Gryffindors. It said Gryffindors. _She'll have fun in that class for sure..._She noticed the Great Hall slowly filing out. They stood up. "Have a good first day, guys," Catherine said brightly. She went to the Heads' Quarters, got her books, and came back down, joining up with students entering the Transfiguration classroom.

Catherine sat in the back next to Gohar. Katie and Christina sat down in front of them. Looking at the door, she saw Cedric come in, smiling at her as he sat down a few seats away with his friends.

She looked at the teachers' desk in the front, waiting for the class to begin. But how could the class begin without the teacher? All that was on the desk was a cat, along with papers and quills in a neat stack._ Where's the teacher? If she's as strict as Cedric says, why would she be late to her own class on the first day of term? _The cat meowed and everyone looked up expectantly. What happened next surprised her, and she flinched.

The cat turned into Professor McGonagall. _Oh, she's an Animagus! Cool!_ McGonagall scanned the room for empty seats, but found none. "Glad that everyone's present," she said. She stood in front of her desk, and began to speak.

"This year will definitely be difficult. It will be similar to 5th year in many ways. This year you will take the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, also known as the NEWTS. It will determine your future career after you graduate from Hogwarts. It will be hard, it will be trying, but I am sure we will manage." She gave a small smile. "Therefore, this year we will be reviewing many things we have learned in the past, along with the new things we are going to learn. Like today. Today we will be learning about human transfiguration."

Whispers broke out throughout the room. McGonagall put a hand up, and the classroom became quiet.

"Now, human transfiguration is a difficult business. If you don't concentrate, there will be nasty results. People have landed in St. Mungo's before, too. It is extremely complicated, and it will be on your N.E.W.T.s. Today you will be turning into siberian tigers." People looked at each other eagerly. They had been waiting for this moment for years.

"Before I explain the process, I want to inform you that I do not expect you to change at once. Do not hurry yourself because it will alter the form you are trying to become. Clear your desks and stand up." With a flick of her wand, all the desks disappeared, leaving the classroom with more space.

"Stand 3 feet apart from each other." There was a rustle as students fought to get near their friends. Catherine looked around her. Gohar was on her left, Cedric on ther right. She smiled at Cedric, who smiled back. She felt her stomach lurch.

"I assume you all know what a siberian tiger looks like? Everyone nodded. "Wands away." Everyone looked surprised. _I thought we used wands to change._ Everyone put their wands away, awaiting their next instructoon.

"Close your eyes." Cedric's eyes shut, and Catherine followed suit.

"Picture a siberian tiger. Think of its characteristics: skin, teeth, face, legs, tail. Think of every little detail, every marking. What makes a siberian tiger a siberian tiger? Clear that image. Now picture yourself. What makes you unique? Think of your personality, hair, eyes, skin. What makes you you? Clear that image as well. Picture your soul, bubbling with good and bad things. Imagine your soul-in the siberian tiger's body."

Catherine could feel herself shaking slightly from the pressure. She felt beads of sweat on her forehead. Suddenly, she felt a change come upon her. Some thing animal-like was bubbling inside of her..._I'm doing it!_ She pictured the siberian tiger and her soul once again. Catherine smiled. _I think I'm about to change!_ And she was until "MEEP!"

Catherine opened her eyes angrily. _I WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE! ARGH! _The tingling feeling was gone, her concentration broken. Then she began to laugh. Standing in front of her was a LLAMA with tufts of red hair. _Who is that? _Besides her, everybody else was still concentrating, sweaty and shaking. McGonagall was tending to a few birds, also students. "MEEP!" The llama came up to her and bit her finger. "OW! Stupid llama!" The llama snorted. She looked around the room and realized who had been standing in front of her before. "KATIE?" The llama nodded and opened her mouth slightly, revealing her teeth. _I take that as a smile?_ Katie ran over to McGonagall, knocking a few students over. Catherine laughed, shaking her head.

She closed her eyes trying to concentrate. In her mind, she followed McGonagall's instructions again. She put all her energy in the effort. "Don't worry if you don't change at all today. Noone has got it right yet, but that is expected. Just don't hurry. Many students have hurried and their forms have changed," McGonagall said. _Like Katie._ Catherine grinned subconsciously.

She grasped for the image once again. She was once again interrupted, this time by a loud roar. Catherine opened her eyes to see a white lion staring at her, its mouth wide. She screamed and fell back onto the floor. She closed her eyes in fright, then felt a wet sensation. The lion was licking her. _Odd._ Another unusual thing revealed itself to her: the lion had green eyes! _Wait a sec..._

"Christina?" she whispered. The lion nodded, roaring once more. "You scared me!" She realized that she was shaking slightly. The lion ran over to McGonagall, nudging the llama and roaring. The llama nudged the lion back.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. "Catherine? Are you ok?" Catherine opened her eyes slowly and saw Cedric squatting down beside her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she heard herself say. "Let me help you up." He extended his hands out, taking her hands into his. He stood, pulling her up with such power that she fell into his arms. For a moment, they were both still, enjoying their positions. Cedric cleared his throat, and she stepped back. "Thanks," she said, smiling slightly. He smiled back.

They resumed their positions and a few minutes later, Catherine felt the tingling feeling return. This time there were no interruptions. Catherine opened her eyes. _I DID IT!_ She raised her hand to her eyes, and saw that it confirmed her thoiughts, for what she saw in front of her was a paw. She looked around the room.

The people who had altered their forms were back to normal, and they hurried over to her, along with McGonagall. "Congratulations! My dear girl, you've done it! 50 points to Ms. Guzman!" She seemed overjoyed, smiling and laughing. She looked to Catherine's side. "And 50 points to you too, Mr. Diggory!" Catherine turned to her right, and saw a tiger. "The 2nd to do it. Good job!" _Cedric?_

They padded forward toward each other, until their noses were touching. He licked her, and she roared in a low voice, a sign of pleasure. When she looked into the eyes of the tiger opposite her, she could tell it was Cedric. Inspired by Catherine and Cedric, the whole class changed correctly, one by one.

McGonagall smiled. "I am glad to see you have all succeeded. I suggest you all change back, and you can leave class now, 5 minutes early. I recommend you all go and change your robes, as you are all sweaty. Remember, to change back, just remember the essence of you in your human form."

Catherine struggled to remember what made her her. _Funny? Sarcastic? Smart? Determined? Miserable. Morbid...What else?_ The thought troubled her. Nonetheless, she changed back without much trouble. Everybody had already changed back. _I'm exhausted already, and we're still in the first class of the day._ Catherine trudged out of the Transfiguration clasroom. "Catherine! Wait!" Cedric ran to catch up. "Going to change?" "Yeah," she replied.

"So, what did you think about your first class here?"

"It was really cool, interesting topic. Cool technique we use to transfigure. I'm just...so tired. It really wore me out." She stifled a yawn.

"I'm tired too. You've got to be really smart to have done it first out of all those people." Catherine smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"Then again, I must be smart too, to have done it second," he said, grinning. She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "You're SO modest!" They laughed, entering the Heads Quarters. They went into their bedrooms to change. A few minutes later, they headed toward the History of Magic classroom.

"Despite what you said, I am going to pay attention and take notes." Good luck with that," he said as he took the seat on her right.

"Hey Catherine" Gohar said as she walked in. "Hey," she replied. She would have said more but the teacher came in. (through the wall) Gohar walked away to find a seat. However, the teacher's appearance didn't make much of a difference. They only quieted for the attendance.

Professor Binns began to talk about the history of goblins and Gringotts, as Catherine took notes. After 5 minutes, she stopped. His voice penetrated her skull like a lullaby, and she became sleepy. She put her quill down and looked around the room. Some people were paying attention, while others were pretending to. Paper balls were being thrown, and notes were being passed arounmd.

Christina was talking with Hermione, who was taking notes. Ron and Katie were sitting next to each other, making googly-eyes. Gohar was nowhere to be seen. She turned back to her desk, and saw a piece of paper on it. She opened it.

In neat, elegant handwriting, the note said

_Told ya you wouldn't last long. -Ced_

She laughed softly and wrote on the paper.

_Shut up._

She turned to her right and gave it to Cedric as the teacher droned on and on.

_:-P (Cedric drew that and gave it back to Catherine)_

Catherine looked around the room, and smiled when she spotted something. _AWW..._

_Aww..._she wrote on the paper. Cedric looked confused.

_At what?_ he scribbled back.

_Look in the back. Gohar._

They both turned to the back of the room. Gohar and Harry were sitting next to each other talking, their faces less than a hair's breadth from each other. She saw the piece of paper appear at her desk again, and she looked at Cedric. He was smiling.

_When do you think they'll get together? They look like they want to snog each other senseless._

Catherine laughed. _I think it's too soon for that. Gohar's never...had a relationship before._

He looked at Catherine, his mouth wide open.

_Really? That's surprising. Have you ever had a relationship?_

She sighed, not wanting to reply.

_Yes. 1._ she wrote back.

_I can tell from the look on your face that it didn't end well._

_It didn't end well at all. _She smiled sadly at him as the bell rang.

As they headed outside for Care of Magical Creatures, she was glad he didn't pursue the subject. "Where do we take this class anyway?" "Hagrid's hut." They arrived and waited for Hagrid to come out of his hut. He came out of the forest instead.

"Glad to see yer all here. Come on, follow me, you lot." They followed him into the forest quietly. Catherine glanced at Cedric. "This place is creepy," she whispered. "Yeah." They stopped in a dark clearing.

"Let me fill yer in. This year will be your N.E.W.T.s so we will be reviewin lots of stuff. So I thought today we'd review thestrals." He looked over to Harry, who was standing a few feet away. "Hullo Harry, Ron, Hermione, Katie, Christina, and-sorry but who are you?" "I'm Gohar. Hufflepuff. New here." "Pleased to meet yer," he replied.

He dropped the raw meat he had been carrying, and gave an odd yell to call them. They waited with bated breath. "So Harry, she your girlfriend?" He whispered it, but the whole class heard, and awaited his answer. Harry turned pink. "No. We're just...friends." They took a step away from each other, noticing how close they had been. Luckily, everyone turned away, due to the arrival of the thestrals. "Who can see them?" Harry, Catherine, and a boy in Gryffindor named Neville raised their hands. "Ahh, so Harry, Neville, and-what's your name?" "I'm Catherine, and I'm in Hufflepuff. New here, so that's why you don't know me." Hagrid nodded.

"Now, you can see thestrals only when you've seen death. So you 3 have seen death obviously, am I right?" They all nodded. Cedric looked at her curiously. _Who does she know that died? Why didn't she tell me? _

"Thestrals are fantastic creatures. They have a good sense of direction. Very smart they are." Catherine saddened as she remembered the death she had seen. The death that had been plaguing her for a month..._And it was all my fault, _she thought sadly as memories sprung up.

* * *

Soon but not soon enough, Care of Magical Creatures was over, and they headed down to the dungeons with the Slytherins. She was not looking forward to their encounter. Hopefully, they would just leave her alone. 

"Hurry up, get in, get in," Snape said lazily. He began to partner people up as he scanned the class list. Among them were "O'Brien,Bullstrode"-Katie and Millicent-"Malecki and Crabbe"-Christina and Vincent-"Chichian and Malfoy"-Gohar and Draco-and finally "Guzman and Diggory." _Yes...no stupid Slytherin!_ She sat in the back next to Cedric. As she sat down, she looked over at the table next to her. (Draco & Gohar)

Gohar grimaced at her potions partner. "Hey baby. I'm Draco Malfoy," he said with a purr and suggestive wink. Gohar smacked him in the back of the head, while Catherine sweetly replied, "Fuck off." "I like them feisty," he whispered into her ear as he leaned over. She smacked him and moved her seat closer to Cedric, who was watching her attentively.

"First encounter with a Slytherin. Are they all that bad?" "Yeah," he said. "But stick with your friends and you'll be fine." She smiled. "Thanks for the advice."

Snape interrupted their conversation. "Felix Felicis. What is it?" Katie raised her hand. "O'Brien?" "It is a potion that makes you lucky, sir." "Correct. We shall be making it today. Instructions are on the board-begin."

Together, they began to make 1 cauldron of Felix Felicis. It was difficult, and they had to start over 2 times after forgetting an instruction, but they finished it with 20 minutes to go. "This class wasn't that bad," Catherine told Cedric. "I thought it would be worse!" He shrugged. "Depends. Sometimes Snape has a temper and takes it out on everyone."

Snape swept by the table and looked at their cauldron. "Pitiful. Even a muggle could make this." Catherine clenched her fists and looked at her potion. It was the desired color, and looked perfect. _What are you talking about? It was fine! And muggles ARE smart!_

"Hah, good one, sir," Draco said. "Shut up, Mr. Malfoy," Snape replied. Malfoy stared sulkily at his cauldron.

"Professor, I need to talk to you. It can't wait," said a voice from the door. "That's Argus Filch, caretaker," Cedric whispered. Catherine nodded to show that she had heard him. "Fill your flasks with your potion and put it on my desk for a grade. Begin to clean up as I speak with Mr. Filch outside." He slammed the door shut, and people began to talk, filling up their flasks with Felix Felicis. Cedric took it to Snape's desk as Catherine cleaned up.

She heard Draco talking, and she could tell the whole class was listening to him as they sat in their seats waiting for Snape to return. "Muggles." He snorted. "They're so stupid. Non-magical." He snorted again. "They can't do anything good, or have fun like us!" He looked around to see if he had the class' attention, which he did.

"And they're FILTHY! I detest anybody who is friends with them. Absolutely disgusting! But you know what's sickening? Touching them! What about those people who have relationships with muggles? And kiss their filthy lips? DISGUSTING!"

Catherine stood up and had her wand at his throat in the blink of an eye. _HOW DARE HE!_ She became aware of her breathing, which was hard and heavy. The class watched closely. Cedric stood up. "Catherine, relax! Come on, sit down...he's not worth it." "Catherine? Cedric's right," Gohar said softly, standing up as well.

"Take it BACK," she hissed. "No," he replied smirking, yet his eyes were wide and fearful. "You foul-TAKE IT BACK!" She poked her wand further into his throat.

"You don't know what you're talking about, you prick. Have you even met a muggle before? There are good ones and bad ones, but do you even give them a chance? No! There are good and bad people in wizards, too. Like you, you're a bad excuse for a wizard! And muggles aren't filthy, and neither are their lips!" Her breathing became even more harsh and ragged. The class watched silently at the sight unfolding before them.

"Say you're sorry!" He shook his head. "That was your last chance." She opened her mouth to issue a hex when the door opened and Snape came in. "What is going on here? Ms. Guzman, sit down and remove your wand from his throat! And you two better sit down," he said, pointing at Cedric and Gohar. They sat down, but Catherine remained rooted to the spot.

"Sit down NOW! What did you say to her, Mr. Malfoy?" he added. "He was talking about muggles," she replied. "I see...remove your wand from his throat NOW!"

"Make me," she snarled. His facial expression went from calm to furious. "How DARE you talk back to a teacher like that? Detention! 8 o'clock with me tonight! Enough of this nonsense! EXPELLIARMUS!" Catherine's wand flew out of her hand, and Draco stood up, gasping for air. The bell rang.

"Class dismissed! Malfoy and YOU-disrespecting girl-stay here!" She threw her books in her bag and trudged up to Snape's desk. As she walked up, she saw people give her frightened looks, and she knew instantly what they were thinking: she was not a person to be reckoned with. _Good. Let them think that. Then they can all just leave me alone._ She saw Katie, Christina, Gohar, and Cedric glare at Malfoy as they walked out.

"Yes PROFESSOR?" she said with venom. "I do not want to see anything like that ever again! Mouthing off to a teacher! Unacceptable! Detention with me tonight, here in the dungeons. Continuing behavior will result in suspension and expelsion. And Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you do not provoke Ms. Guzman, or else there will be bad consequences for you both. Now get out of my sight, the both of you." He handed Catherine her wand. Draco and Catherine headed out of the dungeon.

"This is great...detention on the first day," she muttered. Draco grabbed her wrist, and made her stumble. "Let go!" He had a powerful grip. "You'll be with me someday, giving into the temptation. You know you want me, baby," he said softly into her ear. "Fuck off, and leave me alone!" He let go of her wrist, and she walked off.

_Where the hell is Muggle Studies?_ She turned the corner and smacked into Cedric. "Ow! Sorry!" He smiled. "It's ok. Now come on, we're going to be late for Muggle Studies!" They entered the classroom, and took 2 seats in the back. _Gohar's in Arithmancy...with Harry..._She smiled.

"Today we will be learning about electronics and electricity." Her smile fell off her face as she remembered what class she was in. _Why did I take this class? I'm such an idiot!_ She put her head down, in a morbid mood. Cedric nudged her. "You ok?" "Leave me alone." She turned her head away, so Cedric was left to stare at the back of her head. _I hope she's ok...I can't stand seeing her miserable..._

He put his head down and listened to the teacher's drone. _We did this topic last year..._The class went by slowly, the ticking of the clock echoing in his head.

With 15 minutes to go in the class, he continued to do what he had been doing in every class: staring at Catherine. She had fallen asleep, and her face was turned toward Cedric. _Hope she's having a good dream._

Quite the opposite. Cedric notinced a change come upon her. She began to tremble slightly, and there were tears leaking from underneath her eyelids. _What's wrong? _Her lips parted, whispering one word: "No..." He leaned over his desk and nudged her shoulder. She woke up with a jolt, jumping in her seat. "I-what? Where are we?"

"Muggle Studies," he replied, utterly bewildered. "Are you ok? What was in your dream? You were shaking...and crying..." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and her face hardened.

"Just a nightmare. Nothing more." But he could tell it was much, much more from the vulnerability of her eyes.

"Catherine. You can trust me. What's wrong? You can tell me. I can help you." She turned away from him, her hair disguising her face.

"Leave me alone," she said softly, her voice full of pain.

"Catherine..." She turned to him, her face full of fury, pain, and sadness all at once. "I said, leave me alone!" Tears clung to her cheeks as more rapidly streamed down her face. "Why can't everybody just leave me ALONE to wallow in my misery?" The bell rang, and she sprang up from her desk with her books, running out the door.

"What happened to her?" Christina asked. He shrugged, worried._ Something's wrong and I'm going to find out what._ He headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Welcome seventh years, both Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, Dumbledore has kindly asked me to fill this position, and I have accepted. We have settled the matter of my other form. Now: N.E.W.T.s this year. Today, we will be reviewing boggarts. Can anyone tell me what they are?" Gohar raised her hand. "It mirrors your fears."

"Correct. Ten points. Now, stand up from your desks, put your books away, and wands out, please." Within a few seconds, the desks had disappeared, everyone's bags were piled in a corner, and the students were in different groups, waiting for instructions.

"Listen up everyone! The boggart is here"-he gestured to a shaking trunk-"and it will become your fear. You must find a way to alter its form, making it funny. The incantation to do this is Riddikulus. Line up, and I will release the boggart."

Everyone formed a line. Catherine was last, Gohar in front of her. "How was Arithmancy?" she asked in a teasing voice. "Oh, it was great," she said, smiling. "So, have you kissed yet?" A shadow flickered across her face, which was unreadable. "No..." Gohar turned around, and Catherine went back to her thoughts. _I didn't mean to snap at Cedric. I'll apologize later...I was just upset._

She looked at the line and saw him ahead, looking at her. She smiled a half-smile to show him that she was okay. _Even though I'm not..._The line filed out slowly, and only a few students were left: Cedric, Katie, Christina, some people she didn't know, Gohar, and herself.

Katie went up, her face determined. The boggart came out of the trunk, and everyone began to laugh. The boggart had turned into a pencil. _HOW IS SHE SCARED OF A PENCIL?_ "When I was little, a pencil went up my nose! Their points scare me!" She turned back to the pencil, which was HUGE and towered over Katie. "Riddikulus!" A huge sharpener went toward the pencil, and within seconds, the pencil was in shreds and merely an eraser was left.

Christina was next. The shreds of the pencil turned into worms. "Riddikulus!" The worms turned into confetti. Cedric stepped into place, and the confetti turned into a demonic clown. He paled a little, and said, "Riddikulus!" The clown's head fell off, and the clown searched for it frantically. A few Gryffindor girls went next, all of them completing their task. Finally, there were only 2 people left: Gohar and Catherine.

Gohar's heart was racing as she wondered what the boggart would become. She began to shake as a humongous snake uncoiled itself and slid over to her. "Ri-rid-" She was too scared to say the incantation correctly. The snake rose to its full height, nearly 5 times her size. Its tail brushed her arm, and she shuddered. Her face showed great fright. The rest of the class shrank back in fear. Lupin decided he would intervene, but somebody came to this conclusionn first.

Harry James Potter stood in front of Gohar, his wand out. The snake was about to attack Gohar with its fangs until it turned into a dementor. Catherine's cries filled her head as all her happiness drained away. "Expecto Patronum!" Harry's cry broke through her memories, and all her happiness came back. A stag came out of Harry's wand and charged at the dementor.

Lupin went in front of the boggart. "Riddikulus!" The moon turned into a water balloon, and Lupin put the boggart back into the trunk. "Is everyone ok?" Everyone nodded, drained of energy from the combined efforts of the dementor and fighting the boggart.

Gohar was still frozen to the spot. "Gohar?" Harry asked. She shook her head, then looked into his eyes. He took her hand in his, entwining their fingers, and they walked to the back of the room. She put her head on his shoulder as he whispered something in her ear. She nodded, a smile playing at her lips.

"Professor?" Lupin looked at her. "Yes, Catherine?" "You didn't let me go." He searched her face for a second, then said, "Are you sure?" "Yeah." She wondered what her fear would be. _I can handle it, whatever it is. _"Ok," he replied. He opened the trunk, and Catherine stepped forward. She screamed. _He looks so real..._

A man that looked like he was in his early twenties was standing before Catherine. He had blond hair that was shaved short, green eyes, and a tongue ring. But that was normal; the blood that covered him was not. "Catherine," he murmured. She began to shake and lost all of her senses. She poured out the contents of her breakfast without even realizing it. She was in a different world, separate from all in the room. Memories flooded her thoughts, and unbeknownst to her, she began to cry.

* * *

"Catherine. Catherine." Catherine opened her eyes and looked around. She was on the floor. Cedric, Lupin, Gohar, Katie, and Christina were standing around her worriedly. Cedric kneeled down next to her. "Are you ok?" He helped her sit up slowly. She looked around. The boggart was gone. She was shaking, and her mouth had a bitter taste. She could feel the crackle of dry tears scattered iver her face. She nodded her head numbly. "No you're not," Christina said. The bell rang. "Class dismissed!" "We're staying," Katie said firmly. "Wait outside, I need to talk to Catherine." The 4 of them nodded and walked out of the door. 

Lupin helped Catheirne to a chair in front of his desk. He conjured up a goblet of water, which she accepted with a nod of her head. "Thanks," she said sfotly.

"I've dealt with many deaths in my life, and I know it's hard. Dumbledore told me what happened, and I know what you're thinking. But it's not your fault. What you've got to do is think of the good times that you had. Cherish the good memories. You can't ignore the pain. You have to deal with the grief, day by day. Slowly, the pain will go away. And you can remember him with a smile. I;m not saying you should forget him either. Do you understand what I'm saying?" She nodded. "And you should let your friends help you. Don't block them out. I can tell they really care about you. Let them know what's going on with you, don't be afraid to show your feelings. And don't take your anger out on your friends either, because you'll only end up hurting them." There was a slight pause, and she nodded. He made her think of things in a whole new light.

"Thank you, Professor. Your words truly help ease my mind." She stood up to leave. "If you ever need to talk, just let me know." She smiled. "Ok," she said as she opened the door. With that, she gained a new friend.

Her friends encircled her the second she stepped outside. "Are you ok?" Cedric said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I am now," she said, smiling. _I will tell them...in my own time._ They headed down to dinner. "This is yours. I picked it up for you," Cedric said, handing her her bag. "Thanks."

They entered the main corridor leading to the Great Hall, mixing with students of all Houses. "Malfoy coming through. Move it." He pushed Gohar, who flew through the students, screaming, "Malfoy, you idiot!" "Git," Catherine said, kicking Malfoy in the back of the knees as he passed her. "Good target though," she said to Cedric, who laughed.

At the sound of Gohar's scream, Harry turned around to see what was going on. The second he turned around, Gohar fell onto him, knocking the both of them down to the floor.

* * *

Gohar opened her eyes, looking around. She had fallen on top of Harry, who was facing her. They were so close she could have sworn she felt their eyelashes touching. They were less than an inch away and-Gohar's breath quickened considerably-so were their lips. She squirmed as she felt the frame of his body under hers. She lost herself in his eyes, losing track of everything around her. He breathed in deepy, and she shook her head of certain thoughts. Feeling his body, she squirmed again. 

Cedric and Catherine were standing in a way off against the wall, watching. "Kiss her," Cedric muttered. Catherine held her breath. It certainly looked like he was about to, until Gohar rolled off on to the floor. Harry turned to his side and looked at Gohar. She didn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry-Malfoy pushed me-Didn't mean to fall on you-Sorry-Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" He shook his head as she scrambled for their books. She held 2 piles of books in her arms as she helped him up. "I-well-here's your books. Once again, I'm really sorry." He took his books. "Can I talk to you?" She bit her lip. "Um, I got to go. Can it wait?" He sighed deeply. "Ok." She shifted her books and headed into the Great Hall.

Catherine and Cedric joined Gohar at the table, sitting next to her. Katie and Christina sat across from them.

"What was that about?" Catherine asked. Gohar stared at her goblet of pumpkin juice as she drank from it. "What?" "Don't play dumb," Cedric said. "Malfoy pushed me. I fell on Harry. Got off. Now I'm eating dinner. What's the big deal?"

"He almost kissed you!" "No, he didn't," she replied icily. "Why don't you just get together? We all know you both want each other so both that it hurts," Christina said. Gohar said something in a low tone that noone heard. "Come again?" Cedric said, and everyone leaned in.

"I don't want to," she said softly. Everyone looked at each other with shocked faces. "What are you talking about? You obviously both like each other. What's the matter?" Katie said.

"I do like him...but-"she sighed"-I'm scared. Of being in a relationship. I don't want to get hurt. I've had lots of friends that have been dumped and thye've hurt ofr such a long time. It will be so hard to rebuild and start over again. And I know that if we get together and we break up sooner or later, I'll be crushed. He's like no other guy I've ever met before, and I've never felt this way with any other guy. This must sound crazy considering I've only known him for a day and a half...but I think I've fallen for him." She looked down at her knees.

"So I'm just scared. Of the whole relationship thing. And getting hurt. Does that sound stupid?" Gohar looked at Catherine, her eyes watery. "Of course not! Nobody wants to get hurt. I feel the same way, except this would be my second relationship." Gohar smiled and chuckled softly. "You're right." The conversation turned to their classes, and Catherine yawned. "I'm going to go. See you guys later." She got up and headed to her bedroom.

She fell onto her bed, exhausted from the day's events. After a few seconds (at least that's how it seemed to her), she woke up, feeling drowsier than before. She looked at her watch, and jumped up. _I've got 5 minutes to get down to the dungeons!_ It was as she entered the dungeons, with a growl from her stomach, that she realized she had eaten nothing at dinner.

"You're late." She looked at her watch. "By a MINUTE!" He glared at her, his upper lip curling. "Let's get started, shall we? Follow me." They went up many flights of stairs until they came to a stop at a room that took her breath away. Trophies were all over the walls, which were gold. Her smile faded as Snape told her what she was supposed to do. "Wand." She reluctantly gave it to him. He took out his wand, muttering a spell that opened all the trophy cases.

"Seeing as you love muggles so much, you will be cleaning the trophies with no magic. Clean the floors and trophy cases as well." Towels and a bucket of water appeared in front of Catherine. She looked at him, her mouth wide open. _This guy needs a life...He's spending his night watching me clean! Loser!_ "What are you waiting for? Get started!"

* * *

Catherine staggered into her bedroom, exhausted. She was sore all over, particularly her arms and knees. She fell onto her bed, but found that she couldn;t sleep. Deciding to take a shower to ease her muscles, she got off her bed and went out of her bedroom. She was about ot turn the knob of the bathroom door when she heard a noise. She had been so tired she hadn't noticed Cedric on the couch, reading a book. 

"Hey," he said. "How was detention?" "Disaster," she said. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be right out." She got in, and let the water run over her, relaxing her aching muscles. She came out in jer pajamas and sat down next to Cedric.

"Hi," she said. "Hi," he replied. "So what happened at detention?" Catherine's stomach growled involuntarily and she grimaced. "Didn't eat at dinner," she said. He sprang up from the couch. "What would you like, dear madam?" "Oh, nothing fancy, kind sir, I'll just make myself a sandwich." She got up, and he blocked her way. "Let me," he replied, smiling. Her stomach gave a pang, but she knew this time it wasn't from hunger.

"Bread, mayo, turkey, lettuce, mayo, bread," he said twice. He put two sandwiches and two goblets of pumpkin juice on the table in front of them. "I didn't really eat at dinner," he said, taking a bite of his sandwich. She began to laugh, and he looked at her questioningly. "This is just so WEIRD-eating sandwiches at MIDNIGHT!" They laughed together.

"So how was your day?" He said, searching her eyes. "Fine," she lied. "Liar. Tell the truth."

"Really, it was fine. Apart from little sleep, bad dreams, temptation, boredom, bad memories, getting detention, getting harrassed by some kid who wants to rape me or something, nightmares, reliving seeing someone dead, getting bad thoughts from a dementor, cleaning the entire trophy room with like a TOOTBRUSH, starving, and a whole bunch of other stuff, oh I'm fine." He looked at her worriedly.

"Who harrassed you?" "Malfoy-when we stayed behind at Potions. He said I'd 'give in to the temptation' and be with him." "I'll make sure he leaves you alone and you don't get hurt," Cedric promised. Something about him gave her a sense of protection. "Thanks," she said. They finished their sandwiches in silence.

"Thanks for the sandwich," she said, getting up. She put the empty plate and goblet on the counter. He stood up. "Guess we should turn in," he said. "Yeah. Thanks for everything you did today."

"That's what friends do," he replied, smiling. She hugged him, and they stayed that way for a few moments. She was the first to pull away.

"Good night, Cedric."

"Good night, Catherine."

They entered their bedrooms and shut the door. Despite that, they both left the door between their bedrooms open, listening to the small movements in each others' rooms.

_It certainly was...an interesting day, _Catherine thought as she felt herself drifting to sleep.

_Crazy day,_ Cedric thought, the day going through his mind. He turned to his side. _I'm sure there's more of them to come..._

_

* * *

_So, whatchya think? **REViEW REViEW REViEW!**

**Next Chapter:** Quidditch tryouts for the Hufflepuff team...and possibly more awkward moments between Cedric and Catherine?


	4. I'll Catch You If You Fall

**Behind Those Eyes**

**Chapter 4: I'll Catch You If You Fall**

**A/N: Sorry it took a while to update! Sorry if there are any errors, I was rushing to get this out onto the site. Thanks to Christina, for helping me with some of the ideas.**

**Happy birthday, Catherine!**

**This one's for you.**

September flew by in a flurry of classes and homework. Then, another activity came by to occupy certain students. Houses began to fight to book the field first to hold Quidditch tryouts. Gryffindors got the field Friday, September 23 in the evening. Slytherin booked the field for the next morning, and Hufflepuff booked it for the afternoon. Ravenclaw got the field the next day.

On Saturday, Catherine woke up to the sound of Nirvana playing on her stereo. _I must have left it on last night..._She turned it off, then fell back on her bed. _I'm so tired..._She had stayed up doing homework until two o'clock. _At least I won't have to do any work over the weekend._ She got up from her bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She came out feeling refreshed. She opened a book called _M or F? _and began to read on the couch. It was a witty cook with an original plot.

Cedric woke up at ten o'clock. He opened the door and saw Catherine reading. "Good morning," she said, looking up from her book. "Morning," he replied, grinning. He went to take a shower. He thought about the way Catherine had smiled at him when she said 'Good Morning'. His heart beat rapidly as he thought of her...

* * *

"That was a long shower," she commented, looking at the time. It was 10:30. "I got caught up in my thoughts," he replied slowly. His smile grew wider as he remembered something. "What?" she said. "Quidditch tryouts today," he said, still grinning. He'd missed playing Quidditch. "At three. Can't wait." He sat down next to her. She opened _M or F?_ and continued reading. She forgot Cedric was there, getting sucked into the world of Marcus and Frannie. There were moments she laughed out loud, moments she chuckled, and moments she merely smiled giddily.

After a while, she looked up from her book to see Cedric was just sitting there, studying her. Inserting her bookmark, she put the book down. "What are-" "It's very interesting to watch you read," Cedric interjected. When she gave him a quizzical look, he said, "You're so into the book. At random moments, you just burst out laughing. It's interesting to watch you read," he repeated. There was an awkward silence during which they stared at each other's eyes. Catherine felt a flush creep up to her cheeks. "I, er-why don't we go get breakfast in the Great Hall?" "Ok," he replied.

Cedric and Catherine sat down at an empty table. "Where's Katie, Gohar, and Christina?" "There's Christina," Cedric said. Christina waved at them as she entered the double doors. She smacked into the only door that was closed, a glass door in front of her, at the sight of Harry and Gohar talking at the Gryffindor table. She fell back to the ground. She heard people laughing. _Ow..._She rubbed her forehead and glanced at the Slytherin table, embarrassed. Getting up, she opened the glass door, then blushed as she walked to the Hufflepuff table.

"Good morning," Christina said, sitting down across from Cedric and Catherine. They smiled, then burst out laughing. "That was hilarious," she choked out between gasps. Hurt flashed across Christina's face, but she imagined how ridiculous she must have looked and began laughing, too.

"Have you seen Katie and Gohar?" Catherine asked. She nodded. "They're at the Gryffindor table," she replied, smiling. Her gaze landed on the Slytherin table. "Why are you looking at Slytherins?" "No, I'm not," Christina said icily. However, Catherine saw her looking over there every few minutes. _Odd..._

Catherine looked over at the Gryffindor table. Katie and Gohar were sitting at a table with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny Weasley. They were talking and laughing happily. Gohar and Katie caught sight of Catherine and waved. They got up to leave. Katie kissed Ron on the cheek. Gohar (surprisingly) hugged Harry. They sat down next to Christina.

"Good morning," Gohar said, beaming. "You look...different," Catherine said. "Hair," Gohar replied, shrugging. "I cut it in layers and straightened it." "It looks nice," Cedric said. "Thanks," she said, grinning.

"Something else, too. I can't put my finger on it," Catherine said. There was a sparkle in her eyes that looked like it would never go out. "It's nothing," Gohar assured her. _Ah, but nothing is something..._She judged this by her smile. "So what was going on between you and Harry, huh?" Christina said in a teasing voice. "Nothing, we were just talking," Gohar replied. They all glanced at each other with a look on their face, all of them thinking the same thing. _Sure..._

"Quidditch!" Katie boomed, changing the subject. "Quidditch! I can't wait!" "Me and Katie are the beaters," Christina explained to Catherine. "You guys need to try out again, though. You might not be on the team this year," Cedric pointed out. Katie and Christina looked at each other. "We'll be on the team," Christina said firmly. Cedric smiled. "I know you will be. You guys are awesome beaters." They nodded, grinning.

* * *

Around 2:40, Cedric got up from the couch, shutting off the music he was listening to. "I've got to go get the balls from Madam Hooch and set up for tryouts. You coming?" "Sure," Catherine said. They talked on their way.

"So, are you trying out?" She smiled. "I don't know. I want to try out, but I don't know what position to try out for. Any suggestions?" "Well, we need a Keeper, Chasers, and a Seeker." He took the balls from Madam Hooch, and they headed toward the Quidditch Pitch.

They entered the Hufflepuff's locker room, where Cedric put on his Quidditch robes, pinning the 'Head Captain' on it. "I think I'll try out for Seeker," Catherine said thoughtfully. "That's a good position, I've played it before," he said.

"Have you ever played Quidditch?" She shook her head. "No, I've only been on the sidelines, watching my friends play." He nodded, then asked teasingly, "Do you know how to handle a broom?" "I think so," she said, a smile playing at her lips. "I'm sure I can handle it."

"I'll catch you if you fall," he said in a mock-serious tone. She laughed. "I'll be the damsel in distress." She made an imitation of falling. "Oh, who will save me? Help!" They laughed simultaneously. Cedric became serious. "But really, if you fall, I'll catch you." There was a short silence. "Thanks, Cedric. That means a lot to me." She felt her heartbeat quicken as they drew closer. "I-um, shouldn't we go outside? People will probably be waiting." He sighed softly, then said, "Ok."

They headed outside to see people arguing. Christina was arguing with Draco, whose team was still on the field. Two Hufflepuffs were standing near them, scowling at Draco.

"Relax, baby, we were just about to get off the field," Draco said, sliding his arm around Christina's waist. She stayed silent for a moment, eyeing his arm. She pulled away. "I'm not your baby. Why are you such a perv with every girl you see? Now get off the field so we can hold tryouts!" Christina shoved him toward the exit.

Cedric and Catherine joined the arguing group. "She's right, Malfoy. Your time on the field is up. We booked it for this time fair and square. Now leave,"Cedric said.

"Alright, alright. We'll go. Happy?" He gestured to his team, who left silently. He was the only Slytherin left. He lingered near the exit. Spotting Catherine, he said, "See you later, babe."

This caused many reactions as Draco slowly walked out of the Quidditch field. Cedric growled, trying to get to Draco, but the two Hufflepuffs that had been lingering in the background were holding him back.

Catherine ran toward the exit, intending to kill. Christina was closer to the exit. She yelled at Draco, who turned around, his eyes wide. Christina jumped on him, and they both fell to the ground.

Christina opened her eyes. She was on top of Draco, who was facing her. She felt their quick heartbeats. Their breathing was harsh and ragged; the jump and the fall to the ground had knocked the air out of the both of them. He opened his eyes. They lay there for a few moments. Remembering her common sense, she got up. Surprising herself and Draco, she reached out her hand. He took it and got up. "Thank you," he said, struggling with the words. She sighed. "Why can't you ever be nice?" After a pause and a shrug, he turned around and left. She walked back to Cedric, Catherine, and the two Hufflepuffs.

"Are you ok?" Catherine asked. Christina nodded. The two Hufflepuffs introduced themselves. "I'm Sam," one of them said. "I'm a sixth year." Sam had short black hair and bluish-gray eyes. "I'm Robert," the other said. "I'm a fifth year." He had short brown hair and hazel eyes. "Nice to meet you,"Cedric said. "What are you guys trying out for?"

"Keeper," Robert said.

"Chaser," Sam said.

"Good luck," Cedric replied.

They waited until 3:10 to begin tryouts. Cedric cleared his throat, getting the crowd's attention. "Thank you all for coming. If you aren't in Hufflepuff, please go sit in the sidelines." About five people left to go sit.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Cedric. I'm Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. I used to be Seeker, but this year I'm giving that position up. I've decided to become a Chaser, which is the position I've always wanted. What I need is a Keeper, a Seeker, two Beaters, and two Chasers. First, I want to see how you all are at flying." He gave people numbers, which went up to thirty. They separated into three groups of ten.

The first group was horrible. Half of the group could barely hang onto their brooms, and the other half was just a bunch of girls that wanted to meet Cedric. He politely dismissed the first group, and they went to watch from the sidelines.

The second and third group were talented at flying. Seeing that they could fly, he had them try different moves-flips, dives, and rolls. A few people were dismissed from the two groups.

When those remaining were on the ground, Cedric had them separated into four groups, according to the positions they wanted to tryout for-Beaters, Chasers, Keeper, and Seeker. He had the Beaters try out first.

He had them practice hiting Bludgers with the bats, along with dodging Bludgers. Katie and Christina began a duel with their bats. Christina accidentally hit Katie in the back of the head after fending off a blow. "I'm sorry," she yelled, but she was laughing. Katie swayed slightly but managed to stay on her broom. "I'm going to kill you!" She put her arms out to choke Christina, and chased her around the field, "Why were you flying so close to me? It's not my fault!" Christina shrieked.

"Guys, stop fooling around," Cedric said impatiently, but laughing all the same. After watching all of them, it was obvious Katie and Christina were the most skilled. "Katie and Christina. Beaters," he said, smiling. Christina landed gracefully, while Katie came down too fast and smacked into the ground. "I'm ok," Katie said, smiling goofily. "Told ya we'd be on the team," Christina said. They lingered by Cedric to help him make the other decisions. The rest of the group frowned sadly and left the field, some staying on the sidelines to watch.

"Keepers next." He tried to score while the person in front of him tried to block the hoops. Whoever blocked four out of four shots would get the position. In the end, Cedric decided on Robert. Christina and Katie agreed with him. "Robert. Keeper." Robert smiled, then went to join Katie and Christina.

"Chasers next."

He had them throw the Quaffle to each other, flying from one end of the field to the other, then scoring. He asked Katie, Robert, and Christina for their opinion. They all agreed on Gohar and Sam. "Yeah, that Sam kid's cute!" Christina exclaimed. "Chasers, along with me, will be Gohar and Sam." They smiled, joining Robert, Christina, and Katie. "Last but not least, Seeker." There were five people trying out for Seeker.

Cedric let the Snitch go. It darted about wildly for a few seconds, then disappeared from view. "Whoever finds the Snitch is Seeker," he said simply. He flew up into the air, along with the Seekers, to view their progress. Catherine, he noted, flew very well. The people darted about the field, their eyes searching for a glint of gold. Within a couple minutes, Catherine had gone into a dive and caught the Golden Snitch. He looked at her astonished face. "I got it!" He smiled at ger. "Congratulations! You're Seeker." She laughed with joy.

"Thank you all for coming, but we now have our team. Me, Gohar, Catherine, Sam, Christina, Robert, and Katie of Hufflepuff." There was a scattered applause as most people left the field. Cedric turned to his teammates. "Congratulations, guys. You all did wonderful. OUr first game is in November, I think, so we'll start having practices, starting this week." They nodded. "You guys could leave." Robert, Sam, and Christina left first. After saying goodbye, Gohar and Katie headed to the sidelines, where Ron and Harry were. The four left together, leaving Catherine and Cedric alone.

He put all the Quidditch balls in the trunk and left it in the Quidditch locker room. He came back out to the field. The sun was setting. "Want to practice flying more?" Cedric asked. "Sure," she replied. "I'll teach you some stuff-flips, dives, rolls, tactics, thing like that," he explained.

Catherine was a quick learner. After about an hour and a half, she had perfected much of what he had taught her. "You're good," he said, surprised at how quick she had picked everything up. She smiled. "Thanks."

"It;s getting dark. Let me show you one more thing: a feint. You'll need it to confuse other Seekers." "Ok," Catherine said. They flew into the air.

"This is what you do." He went down in a quick dive, leaning forward on his broom to gain speed. Just when it seemed like he was going to crash, he pulled out of the dive and swerved to the side. "And that is how it's done," Cedric said. "I see."

She put her weight toward the front of the broom, leaning forward to gain momentum. She got closer to the ground. To her horror, she found she couldn't pull out of the dive. She crashed to the ground, landing on her back. "Catherine!" Cedric yelled.

He flew toward her, jumping off his broom before he had even landed. "Are you ok?" She was laughing. "I'm fine. Lay down next to me on the grass." "Wha-" "Just do it," she said. "Ok?" He laid down next to her. "It's such a beautiful night. Look at the stars," Catherine said. "Yeah," he said. The sky was clear, and clouds were far from sight. The stars shone brightly, reflecting in her eyes. They began to point out the constellations.

"It's so beautiful," she said, gesturing to the sky. He got closer to her. "Yeah. Beautiful," he said, tilting his head toward her. They got closer and closer, less than an inch away from each other.

Her hands on the side of his head, she said softly," I can't, Cedric. I'm so sorry. I can't." "Wh-" A thought came to him. "Do you have a boyfriend back home?" "Wha-No. I just can't. We should get going. It's late."

She stood up, picking up her broom, and began walking toward the castle. After a soft sigh, Cedric got up as well. Picking up his broom, he followed Catherine's lead. _This girl's a mystery...

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE REViEW, PEOPLE!**_

**NEXT CHAPTER: Planning for the Halloween dance, awkward moments, and someone is caught in the act! Of what, you ask? You'll see...**


	5. Secrets Revealed

**Behind Those Eyes**

**Chapter 5: Secrets Revealed**

**A/N: Thanks to Christina, Katie, and Catherine for waiting so long. This chapter saved me from boredom in biology class. Sorry for any typos, I just wanted to get this out as quickly as possible. It's not one of my best chapters either..This chapter's been a long time coming-It's the result of long giggly phone calls, and pages of looseleaf during class talking in groups about our ideas.**

**Anyways, this chapters for you guys. **

**Tell me what you think. I'm open to suggestions.**

* * *

It was October 1st, the weekend after Quidditch tryouts. Catherine sprang up from her bed, panting. She had had another nightmare. She took deep breaths to calm her breathing and stabilize her body, which was shaking. _Why can't the nightmares stop? Will they ever stop?_

She got up and made her bed. She looked at the clock. It was 10 AM. She was surprised she had even gotten to sleep for that long. Catherine closed her door and decided to go take a shower to relax her thoughts. As soon as she entered the bathroom, she changed her mind.

_Why don't we test the jacuzzi out?_ She dressed properly for the jacuzzi, closed the bathroom door, and entered the jacuzzi. The bubbles came up and began massaging her back as the jacuzzi slowly warmed up. _This is heavenly..._She tried to clear her mind and relax. "Ahh..." She tried to clear her mind of any worries.

* * *

She stayed in for what seemed to be half an hour and was about to get out when the bathroom door opened. "Hey," Catherine said. "Mmp-Hey," Cedric said, his eyes barely open. He walked over to the sink an washed his face. When his eyes fully opened, he looked over at Catherine, eyes wide. "Did I bother you? Sorry." He stepped toward the door. 

"No, actually I was just getting out," she said, stepping out of the jacuzzi and turning it off. "Pity," he said, looking at her. There was a moment of silence until Cedric coughed. "Well..I'll see you outside then." He didn't meet her eyes. "Ok," she said. He left, closing the door.

Catherine changed into jeans and a dark green shirt. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Cedric on the couch, listening to music through a CD player and reading a book. She looked at the time. It was about 11 o'clock.

"I'm going to go down to the Great Hall to have breakfast. Are you coming?" He shook his head. "No, I'll see you later." "Ok, bye," she said, turning to leave. She took her time going down to the Great Hall.

* * *

Christina was walking through the castle. Nobody was up and about yet, not even the ghosts. She walked quickly, hoping she wouldn't get caught by a teacher or Filch. Her brisk footsteps echoed on the stone floor as she turned a corner. She entered a corridor that sloped downward. She walked down and turned to her left. 

The torches' light shined on her face as she continued walking, searching to find him. She turned another corner and walked straight. _He should be here.._

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind, putting their hand over her mouth. She struggled to scream. The person pulled her into a small indent in the wall, a hidden passage. As soon as they entered it, the wall behind them closed.

"You scared me!" Christina yelled as she turned to face her attacker. "Shh, he said, smiling and putting a finger to her lips. He pulled Christina into his arms and kissed her passionately. He hugged her to him, putting his hands around her waist, and kissed her softly. She put her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

"Draco, how much longer do we have to hide this?" Christina said, searching his face. "Dont worry," he replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. They stared into each other's eyes. He kissed her again, and they smiled when they finally pulled apart. A weird change came over them, and the atmosphere changed. Draco's voice changed and said, "Wake up, sleepyhead." "What?" Christina asked, bewildered. "Wake up, sleepyhead," he repeated over and over. His blond hair slowly replaced itself with red hair and his face slowly took the form of Katie's. Christina screamed and took a step back.

"WAKE UP!" Katie yelled into Christina's ear. Christina sprang up, her mouth wide open. She looked around. "KATIE!" Christina jumped off her bed and onto Katie, wrestling her. "You idiot! Why did you do that? I was SLEEPING!" "Sorry," Katie said, pouting.

Christina got up and sat on her bed. She was confused. Was she enjoying the dream? Did she want it to continue and see what would have happened? "Let's wake Gohar up," Katie suggested evilly. "Katie," Christina sighed. Katie jumped onto Gohar.

"WAKE UP!" Gohar jumped up. "Har-huh? What?" Her eyes were wide open as she sat up. "Good morning. Come on, let's go get breakfast," Katie said brightly. "Actually, I'm going to sleep some more," Gohar said, putting her head on her pillow and turning it so they saw the back of her head. "I'll see you guys later."

"Ok," Christina said. The gears in her head slowly began to turn._ She never sleeps in...That's weird..What's going on with her?_ Christina and Katie got dressed and left.

* * *

A few minutes later, Gohar opened her eyes. She stayed silent for a few moments, ears alert for any sound. Hearing nothing, she sat up. She was alone. She got out of bed, left it unmade, and got dressed quickly. She put on jeans, Converse, and a blue and white shirt. The bottom part was made up of white fishnet. She combed her straight hair, put on eyeliner, picked up a few books into her arms, and left. She had to go meet someone.

* * *

"Hey guys," Catherine said, sitting down at the end of the Hufflepuff table and across from Katie and Christina. "Hi Catherine. How are you?" Christina asked. "I'm good," she said, smiling. "Good morning," Katie mumbled, eating a piece of toast. "Good morning," Catherine replied. 

She turned to Christina. "Have you seen Gohar?" Christina didn't reply immediately. Her eyes were looking past Catherine with her mouth slightly open. Her eyes were following someone. Catherine turned around to see what Christina was looking at, but all she saw was Draco Malfoy walking towards the Slytherin table. _Whoever it was must have passed by..._

When she turned back to Christina, she was herself again. "What was that all about?" Catherine asked. "What?" Catherine shook her head. "Never mind. Have you seen Gohar?" Christina and Katie nodded. "Yeah. Katie jumped on her and woke her up, but she said she wanted to sleep in. Which is weird because she's usually up before us. Maybe she'll be down soon," Christina said, shrugging. Katie nodded. "Poor thing must be tired," Katie said sarcastically.

"I guess I'll wait for her to come down. She promised we'd go exploring around the castle today." "That's cool," Christina said. Her and Katie got up. "We're gonna go play some Quidditch," Katie said, smiling goofily. "Ok, I'll see you later." "Bye!" They ran out of the Great Hall, eager to get up in the sky.

The people in the Great Hall slowly filed out and Gohar still hadn't come down. _That's weird. She wouldn't still be sleeping..Did she forget?_ She decided to go look for her. She checked her dorm, but it was empty. Gohar's bed was empty and half-made. _She woke up then, but where is she? I'll go exploring for myself then, and if I see her, then she can join me. This isn't like Gohar, though._ She felt goosebumps. She was sure there were many interesting secrets Hogwarts held and she wanted to discover them.

Catherine walked around the grounds for a good remainder of the day. She was tempted to go into the Forbidden Forest and see what lived within. However, Hagrid was in front of his hut, making food for his dog Fang, so she couldn't do it now. She also wanted to explore the lake. She had heard many rumors about the enchanting world that lied in the depths of the lake. After exploring the grounds, she decided to explore the more mysterious part of Hogwarts (or so she thought), which was the castle itself.

She went through the main entrance. She searched the lower floors, finding some interesting things, such as people in the paintings. Catherine had seen them before, but she had never taken the time to talk to them, which is what she did now. She learned a great deal about their interesting pasts.

"Come again, dearie!" one called as Catherine left the hallway. Catherine met up with Christina and Katie, who showed her many things. Katie showed her the kitchens, where she made many friends within the workers. The kitchens were hidden very well, behind a painting of fruit.

Katie stepped toward the painting. "What are you doing?" Catherine asked, bewildered, as Katie sniffed the painting. "Just watch," Christina said. Katie tickled the pear, which giggled. An amazed Catherine, a pleased Katie, and a happy Christina entered the kitchens, which were buzzing with activity. House elves were bustling around cleaning silverware and making food.

"Ah..." All the house elves said in contentment, halting. One house elf pointed and said, "It is the Red One!" They all bowed. Then, they dropped what they were doing and rushed over to Katie. "Greetings, Red One. What would you like today?" "I'll have the usual," she said cooly. An assortment of desserts appeared at Katie's side.

"Ah, and the Sidekick is here too! One house elf pointed to Christina, beaming. "What would you like, Wise One?" "Watermelon and...do you have vanilla ice cream?" Christina asked. "Always, Wise One," the house elf replied. Two seconds later, Christina was eating vanilla ice cream in a cone, and with several pieces of watermelon on a plate.

A small house elf that appeared to be very young approached Catherine. "Who is this, Wise and Red One?" "Our friend Catherine," Katie mumbled through her eclair. "Hi," Catherine said, bending down to talk to the house elves. "What shall we bring you? "Nothing, thank you." They smiled. "Anything, let us know." They went back to Katie and Christina, crowding around them.

"Anything else, o' Great Ones?" "Water please?" Katie said. They got her it and she drank happily. "Well, we must go. We just wanted to see how you were doing and to show our friend around. Farewell, friends," Katie shouted. "Bye guys," Christina said, chuckling. "Bye," Catherine said. "Farewell friends!" the house elves chorused, bowing once again.

After they left the kitchens, they began looking at some of the upper floors. Christina showed Catherine a passageway behind a statue that would have led somewhere promising, but was caved in halfway. Disappointed, they came back out. They went up to higher corridors. They found few things of interest and continued on their way when someone called Catherine's name.

"Catherine!" She turned around. Cedric jogged toward her. "Hey," she said. "What's up? "I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, slightly out of breath. "I've been exploring around the castle, just wandering..." she said, shrugging. "Oh. Well Professor Sprout saw me and just gave me some news. Heads' business. We have an assignment," he said, winking. Katie jumped and said, "I WANT TO KNOW! I WANT TO KNOW!" Christina smacked her on the head.

"Cool," she said. "What is it?" "Oh no, I can't tell you out here," he said, looking at some students close by. "It's top secret." She laughed. He smiled slyly at her. "Let's go in here," he said, pointing to the door behind Catherine. "Ok," she said. _Funny, but I feel like this door wasn't here before.._"Hey! What about us?" Christina yelled. "Wait out here," Cedric said. Christina frowned.

He opened the door and they entered. They were plunged into darkness the moment they closed the door. "Have I-have I gone blind?" Cedric said. "If you have, then so have I," Catherine said. Cedric took her hand. "There must be a light switch or something somewhere," Cedric said, and Catherine felt him fumble around, feeling the walls.

Catherine's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. "There IS light," she said. His eyes slowly adjusted. About ten feet ahead of them, they could see flickering candle light. They walked toward it slowly as more of the room was revealed. Catherine heard a noise. "I don't think we're alone," Cedric said, putting a finger to his lips. Thye walked a few more steps. The room was huge. They arrived by the candles, which were on a table. Books lay open on the table. There were couches about ten feet away, and it was then that they realized one was occupied.

* * *

Meanwhile, Katie and Christina were leaning against the door, listening to every word through Extendable Ears. "How do you get this stuff?" "Connections, my friend," Katie said evilly. "Ron gives me them, and he gets them from Fred and George, who make them. They have a joke shop." "Cool!" Christina said. They leaned in to hear. "Five bucks says they kiss," Christina said. "I hear them going at it!" "You're on!" Katie said. They shook hands and leaned against the door to hear. 

There was a boy and girl making out passionately on the couch. The girl's hair covered her face and the boy's so they couldn't tell who it was. They could tell that whoever it was, they liked each other a LOT.

"Oh, um, sorry," Cedric said. "We'll just be going on our way then." He took a few steps back. The couple didn't pay attention, or rather, hear Cedric's words. Their passion intensified. "O...k," Catherine said. "Let's go."

The boy's hand went to the girl's cheek, brushing her hair away and kissing her. Now both of their faces were visible. Cedric and Catherine's mouths dropped open as they saw who it was. "Gohar?" Catherine said in wonder. "Ha-Harry?" Cedric said, amazed. The couple continued to kiss, in their own world and oblivious to everything else.

Cedric and Catherine slowly stepped out of the room and closed the door. Christina and Katie fell over. Catherine and Cedric looked at each other in shock, not even paying attention to the two as they scrambled to get up. "Wow," Catherine said. "That looked like fun. We should try it sometime," Cedric said, putting his arm around her. "Yeah," she said, smiling. After she realized what she had said, she took herself out of Cedric's grasp, her face serious.

"What happened?" Christina asked. "You look like you've seen dead people." They told them what they had seen. Katie burst out yelling, "I KNEW IT! Christina, you owe me five bucks. It wasn't Cedric and Catherine in there." She smiled and held her hand out to receive the money.

"Aw man...wait." Christina handed the money over, her head tilted to the side as the information slowly sanks in. "But YOU owe me five bucks because I said that Gohar and Harry would get together by the end of this week. Give it back." Christina smiled goofily as a disappointed Katie gave the money back. The four of them burst out laughing.

"We'll see you guys later," Catherine said. "We're going to our dorms. "Ok," they replied. "Bye!" They parted into two groups. Catherine heard Katie yell as Christina chased her down the hall. Katie had said something as Draco walked by.

Catherine and Cedric walked silently to their rooms, both pondering their thoughts. When they got to their dorms, they sat down on the couch. "What did you want to tell me?" Catherine asked. "Oh. Professor Sprout told me that there's going to be a Halloween dance for sixth and seventh years. We're supposed to plan it since we are Heads. We have to get all our plans in by the next two weeks." Catherine sat up.

"That's so cool! We have to make it awesome. It HAS to be amazing! I'm a perfectionist. Everything has to be perfect: decorations, food, music, the whole deal." She took a piece of parchment and began to discuss ideas with Cedric. She saw the sun go down through the windows as they both expressed their opinions on what they should do. After about two and a half hours, Cedric sat up. "I'm going to make some sandwiches for us. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." "Ok," Catherine said, smiling. She watched Cedric make the sandwiches, her head bursting with all kinds of thoughts.

Suddenly, she heard a tap on the wall near the entrance of the Heads' Quarters, and a muffled voice said, "Catherine?" Catherine recognized the voice and opened the entrance from the inside with a tap of her wand. Catherine went back to sit on the couch. "Hey Cedric. Hey Catherine," Gohar said, walking in. "Hey," Cedric said, still making the sandwiches. He had a mischievous smile on his face, as did Catherine. They looked at each other and silently agreed to mess with her a bit.

"Hey. Where have you been?" Catherine asked, faking stupidity. "What do you mean?" Gohar asked, keeping her face blank. "We were goin to explore today. I went with Katie and Christina instead. I've been looking for you all day. Where have you been?" "Oh. I was studying with Harry." "For what?" Catherine asked. "Arithmancy," Gohar replied, biting her lip. "Really?" Cedric said. "Was he teaching you with his LIPS?"

The three of them burst out laughing. Gohar didn't know what to say and her eyes widened as Cedric relayed what they had seen to her. "Oh," Gohar said, sitting down on the couch. "Well, I feel stupid," she said, chuckling. There was a slight pause. Suddenly, she jumped up and began to dance around the room.

"I don't care about acting stupid! I'm with Harry Potter! I like him, and HE LIKES ME!" She sat down on the floor, smiling. "I cant believe we're together. I mean he likes me. Harry Potter, who could have whoever he wants, likes me." She smiled, looking up at Catherine and Cedric. "I've been there," Catherine said softly, looking at the happiness on her friend's face. She was happy for her friend.

"When did you guys get together?" Cedric asked. "About a week ago," she said, smiling. "He asked if he could talk to me after dinner and we took a walk by the ground. We talked and he asked me out. We agreed to take things slow."

"If what we saw today is slow, I don't whatto know what fast would be, "Cedric said seriously. "Don' t do anything you'll regret," Catherine spoke up suddenly, her words, having more meaning than one as she thought about her previous relationship.

"Today was the first time anything like that happened. We talk more than--what you saw today. We want to get to know each other better. It's only been a week," she said, a troubled expression on her face.

"Why haven't you told eanybody you're together? Everybody knows you guys like each other. It's kind of-obvious," Cedirc said, finishing up the sandwiches, having made an extra one for Gohar. They all sat down and ate.

"We didn't want to say anything for a while because we don't want people to make a fuss over it, with him being Harry Potter. But I guess that by now Katie and Christina have told the whole school, so oh well. It would have to come out eventually," she said, shrugging. They laughed.

They talked for a while. Gohar looked at the time. "It's eleven. I should get back to the girls' dorms. See you guys tomorrow." They got up, said goodbye, and Gohar left. Catherine took the empty plates and put them in the kitchen. She yawned.

Meanwhile, Cedric was thinking hard. He was looking forward to the dance, even though it was a few weeks away. He knew who he wanted to ask. But would she accept? His eyes looked over to Catherine. He knew asking would upset her and that she didn't like him. He plunged into dread. But he still felt a connection.

A new thought came to him. What if-this gave him slight hope- she did like him, but was scared? What if something had happened in her last relationship-she did say it ended badly-and she was scared or nervous? He decided to ask and see what she would say.

"So, excited for the dance?" he asked, his heart racing. "Yeah, kind of," she replied, hopping up and sitting on the kitchen counter. "You don't seem as excited as before," he noted by the tone of her voice. She shrugged, looking down at her feet.

"Listen, I know you don't like me like I like you. We've talked about it before, and I know where we stand. But I cant help asking, even if it's as friends, but..would you go to the dance with me? I know it's at the end of the month, but..." He shrugged. There was a look in her eyes that Cedric couldn't comprehend. "I'd...I'd like to. But I can't..I just can't," she said firmly, staring blankly at the floor.

"Is-is it because the guy in yout last relationship hurt you? You know I wouldn't ever harm you." She looked up at him, furious. "He didn't do anything to hurt me. I hurt him. He never put me in harm!" Cedric refused to believe that.

"You're in denial. He hurt you. It's over. Move on." He was partly saying this because he was jealous. He wished he could have taken his words back, but it was too late. Catherine burst out yelling. "You don't know anything! You have no right to say anything! He never hurt me! We were perfect together and would still be together if it weren't...weren't for me. I am not in denial. And I will never move on. Don't talk about what you don't know, Cedric Diggory. Good night," she added scathingly.

She walked in to her bedroom and slammed the door. It was quiet for a few seconds as he listened to his shallow breathing. A blast of music issued from Catherine's room as an unfamiliar rock song began to play. The floor began to throb with the volume of the music.

_Wow.._

Cedric was curious to know more about Catherine's last relationship. What had happened to make Catherine so angry and hurt at the same time? She went through a range of emotions in a matter of seconds. What was going on with her and what had happened?

He went into his bedroom, falling onto his bed. His thoughts were a mess. What would he do now? Catherine was probably mad at him, but who knew? Her emotions varied constantly. Where did him and Catherine stand? Did anyone at Hogwarts know about Catherine's preious relationship? Could he find out? Would her ever get together with Catherine? What would happen now?

After thinking hard, he decided not to pressure Catherine further, no matter how much he liked her. He decided to give her some space, because obviously what had happened in her last relationship was still troubling her. However, he remained determined to find some way of finding out what had happened. _Maybe I'll ask Christina, Katie, and Gohar.._

The loud music blocked out every noise as he fell asleep, but he could have sworn he heard someone sobbing.

* * *

**A/N:Tell me what you think! **


	6. Masquerade!

**Behind Those Eyes**

**Chapter Six**

**Masquerade**

**A/N: To Chris, Katie, and Cat. You better review.**

**And Christina: you know how much I went through to get this up tonight lmfao.**

**Review. Enjoy. Love you people!**

* * *

"A little to the left...a little more...perfect!"

The table floated down and made contact with the ground.

"Looks good, doesn't it?"

"It took a while, but we did it. It looks amazing."

It was late afternoon, October 31st. There were no classes on Fridays and seeing as the younger years had an early Halloween feast, Cedric and Catherine took the time to prepare for the dance. They stood next to the doors of the Great Hall, which were closed. They looked around the room, smiling. All their hard work, planning, and adjustments had finally come to an end. The result was spectacular.

Small tables that could seat approximately ten people were lined up on the left and right side of the Great Hall. These tables would be available for people to sit at with friends, as well as for the purpose of eating. The food would arrive shortly before the dance. They had already made arrangements with the house elves on the courses that were to be served. Candles enclosed in carved pumpkins were at the center of every table.

The middle of the Great Hall was cleared out so as to serve as a dance floor. The spot where the teachers' tables usually were was replaced with some electronic equipment. A DJ and a band were scheduled to play throughout the course of the night. On the right of the stage was a long refreshment table, where special drinks were to be served, one of which being firewhiskey. They were, after all, of age now.

The shutters were closed over the windows. Candles floating close to the ceiling were in scattered groups so certain parts of the Great Hall were lit up and other parts were left dark. Black and orange streamers hung on the walls. Webs hung on the walls and in the corners. bats, controlled by a spell, flew near the ceiling, occasionally swooping down by tables. The ceiling had been enchanted to have a dark and starry sky. This gave the entire room a dark and mysterious look.

The side doors of the Great Hall were opened to reveal a private garden. Fairies that gave orange and black light were assorted in patterns in bushes. Black cats were walking around the garden freely. Stuffed dummies replicating Frankenstein, zombies, mummies, and other creatures came to life under the power of their wands, patrolling the gardens. Four banshees sung in a corner of the garden.

A silence arose as they surveyed their work. They left the Great Hall, locking the doors and enchanting them so they would automatically open at seven, which was when the dance was supposed to begin. The doors would close after everyone arrived and re-open around midnight, which is when the dance was scheduled to end. They walked to Professor Sprout's office. After informing her that they were done, they left and walked back towards their dorms.

"So who are you going with?" Catherine asked.

"Well, me and Susan Bones are going together, but as friends," he replied.

"Susan's cool. What are you dressing up as?"

"Frankenstein. What about you?"

"I already told you that I'm not going," she said.

"Oh yeah. I forgot. Sorry." He decided not to push her for answers for fear of another fight.

"I hope everyone has fun though," she said.

"With all the great ideas we had? They definitely will. Especially the whole masquerade idea. Stroke of brilliance."

Catherine bowed. "Thank you, thank you."

Catherine had sent letters to all the sixth and seventh years instructing them to wear costumes and masks that covered their entire faces. All that could be seen was the person's eyes and mouths. It was not mandatory, although recommended to kept the masks on the entire night. This way everyone could be kept guessing as to who was who and the masks would add to the dance's mystery and intrigue.

They entered their dorms. They sat down and talked for a while. "What's everyone going dressed as?" Catherine asked.

"I don't know. A lot of people are keeping it secret-they want to surprise everyone. Especially with the masks on. It's going to be fun to see who's under the masks and what they're dressed as."

"Gohar told me she's going to be a fairy," Catherine said thoughtfully. "She's really excited for the dance and she told me about her obsessions with masks and masquerades. It's also going to be her first dance with Harry. Katie and Christina won't tell me what they're wearing."

"All Christina told me was that her costume was cool. And Katie mentioned something about hair dye." Cedric said.

"Oh God," Catherine said, chuckling and rolling her eyes.

Cedric looked at the time. It was six thirty. "I should get dressed. And I should get there early anyway, to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Ok," Catherine said.

Cedric got up and went to his bedroom, closing his door. He emerged fifteen minutes later.

"Nice," she said immediately.

He was wearing ripped blue jeans and a ripped black short sleeve shirt. His face, arms, and neck were green and 2 bolts were coming out of either side of his neck. He had several fake stitches on one side of his neck.

"Hey, what about your hair?" Catherine asked.

"I can't seem to make it work," he muttered. "All I got was a few black hairs."

"Let me try. Transformio," she said, pointing her wand at his head. His hair turned instantly black.

"Thanks," he said, examining a piece of hair.

"No problem." Cedric turned toward her. "Listen, if you change your mind, come. It'll be fun."

"Thanks, but I don't think I will," she muttered. "Have fun."

He walked towards the painting as it swung open. "See you later."

"Bye." Catherine sat down on the couch, closing her eyes, trying to empty her mind as it filled with memories of the previous Halloween. She'd had so much fun. But that was before everything changed...

* * *

Cedric stepped on to the door and turned the corner, coming face to face with Susan.

"Hi Cedric," she said.

" I see you changed your hair color too," he said, smiling. A streak of white shimmered in her now black and shiny hair. Her hair matched brilliantly with her black dress. It was tattered at the edges and flapped in uneven edges around her knees. Her face was pale with white powder, eyeliner, mascara, and black lipstick.

"Let's go," she said. She put on a black feathery mask that shined with white sequins around the eyes. Cedric put on a dark green mask. They walked side by aside, chatting as they walked towards the hall.

* * *

"So, Godric Gryffindor, huh?"

"Yeah. You like it?"

"I love it. It looks pretty hot," Gohar said, kissing Harry's cheek. "Is that sword real?"

"The real one is in Dumbledore's office after I got it form the sorting hat. This is a copy," he said, pointing to the ruby-covered sword with Godric Gryffindor emblazoned on its' side.

Harry was wearing silver dress robes with a lion at its center that roared occasionally. He had one hand on his wand and sword and the other around Gohar's waist.

"I'm sorry. You understand why I can't go, right?"

He nodded. "It's for a friend. I would do the same thing if I were you." He kissed her forehead. "Go on."

"I was going to be a fairy," she said, smiling sadly.

"Pity. You would have made a beautiful one.." he said, smiling.

"Have fun," she replied. He put on a silver mask with scarlet and gold lines lining the eyes and mouth.

"Not as much as if I was with you..Bye."

"Bye."

He walked down the corridor as she walked towards the painting.

"hey Catherine!"

The painting swung open, revealing a bewildered Catherine.

"Hey! What are you doing here? You should be at the dance!" Gohar stepped behind the painting as it swung closed.

"Well, I thought I'd keep you company since you're not going to the dance. I'm not going to let my friend be miserable while everyone's partying and having fun. And I still don't get why you're not going in the first place."

Catherine sighed. "what about Harry?"

"He'll be fine without me. Now tell me what's going on."

"Noth-"

"I'm your friend. I can tell something's going on. I'm not stupid, you know. Now as your friend, don't i deserve the right to know and try to help you out?"

Catherine sighed. "You;re right. I was going to tell you and the others sooner or later. Do you remember when we met on the Hogwarts Express?" she asked.

"Of course," Gohar siad, nodding.

"Remember when you asked why I moved from New York and transferred to Hogwarts? And I said I wasn't ready to talk about it. Well, i think i am now. I need to let it out-for...for someone to understand.."

"What does this have to do with the-"

"I'll be right back. You'll understand then." She left and entered her room, leaving a confused Gohar on the couch, wondering what on earth was going on with her friend.

* * *

"Done!" Katie said triumphantly. She looked at herself in the mirror next to her bed. Her hair was now platinum-blond and curly, thanks to Muggle hair dye and a curling iron. SHe twirled a lock of her hair, smiling. Perfect! She put on black eyeshadow, mascara, and eyeliner. She put on Converse, a black shirt that hung off her sholders with gold writing all over it, a black skirt, and leggings.

"Chris, I'm leaving to meet up with Ron!"

"See you later!" Christina yelled form the bathroom, where she was doing her hair. Katie walked out of the dormitories, through the common room, and out of the portrait. Ron was already waiting.

His hair was black and slightly spiky. He was wearing Converse, black jeans, a white shirt the said The Sex Pistols, and a black leather jacket.

"Sid Vicious!" Katie yelled.

"Nancy!" Ron yelled.

He kissed her on the lips and she complied by putting her arms around him and deepening the kiss. They pulled back after a few moments.

"You look great," he said breathlessly. "So do you," she breathed as she held his hand. "Let's go." She put on her mask, a gold feathery one, as he put on his, a white one. The ywalked away from the painting and towards the Great Hall, ready for a fun night with their friends and the people they loved.

* * *

"Damn, I'm going to be late!" Christina muttered. She viewed her hair in the bathroom mirror. She had dyed it earlier that day. Her hair was now dark red with strips of purple. She pointed her wand at her hair, muttered "Transformio" and it straightened itself quickly. She picked up the scissors next to her and cut her bangs, which had grown longer. She took her bangs and clipped them back. Her hair now looked amazing: red, purple, straightened, and her layers showed in all the right places.

"Costume..." She ran back towards her bed. The dorm was empty; everyone had left already. She put it on hurriedly, then rushed back to the full-length mirror in her bathroom. She quickly put on eyeliner, mascara, smoky dark red eyeshadow, dark red lipgloss, and she put another coat of nail polish on her chapped burgundy nails.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked spectacular. A black corset with burgundy strings hugged her upper body as a pair of large, black, feathery wings tinged with blood at the ends arched from her back. The bottom of the corset attached to a black skirt with uneven edges that ended at different lengths. She was wearing fishnet stockings, followed by black boots with heels.

She couldn't help feel excited for the dance, and yet, a bit sad too,. The reason for the melancholy she had been feelings was her lack of a date. It wasn't like she hadn't been asked; she'd been asked by quite a number of people. She'd said no, however, because they'd been friends and nothing more.

She hoped that tonight would change everything, that she wuold have fun, and perhaps meet someone mysterious, someone she'd overlooked. She couldn't help feeling like soemthing special was oging to happen tonight. There was all kinds of magic in the air. It was, after all, Halloween, she thought as she exited the dorms, adjusting a black glittery mask with burgundy feathers onto her face. Her hopes were high as she neared the Great Hall, where hopefully great things were to come.

* * *

"This place looks amazing! You and Catherine did a great job," Susan said as her and Cedric entered the Great Hall. "Thanks. Where do you want to sit?" he said, gesturing to the empty tables. They were the first ones there. "Uh,.. doesn't matter," she said. They sat down on a table on the left side of the Great Hall close to the stage. Cedric saw someone appear on the far side of the stage.

"I'll be right back," he said, getting up. He walked over to a guy that looked like he was in his early twenties. He wore a green shirt, dark blue jeans with chains on the pockets, and Converse. His blond hair glistened under the candlelight. "Cedric, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Are you ready to go on?"

He nodded. "I have an awesome selection of Muggle and Wizarding music to play and mix up."

"Great!" Cedric took out a small bag full of Galleons and handed him it. "Your payment."

"Thanks," he said, stepping onto the stage. A vast number of people began to trickle into the Great Hall. Cedric stepped onto the stage, and after a short conversation with the DJ, took hold of the microphone.

"Hey everyone. Welcome to the Halloween dance. I hope you have fun. And now I present to you-DJ Fabian!" The crowd roared as music began to play. A number of people stepped onto the dance floor and began to dance, candlelight flickering on their eager faces. Cedric stepped off stage and walked back to his table, which was half full. The table groaned under the amount of food that was now on it.

"Hey Cedric. This is Jennifer from Ravenclaw," Susan said, pointing to the girl on her right. Cedric nodded towards the girl he had known by face, but not by name. "Hey Ced," said the guy sitting on his right.

"Hey Luke," Cedric said, greeting his best friend. He looked around to see who else was sitting at his table.

"Hey, where's Gohar?" he asked Harry, who was sitting across from him, looking nothing short of miserable. "She went to keep Catherine company." "Oh," he replied, surprised.

"What are you guys dressed as?" Cedric asked, staring at Katie and Ron.

"Sid Vicious," Ron began. "And Nancy," Katie said. "From The Sexy Pistols!" Ron finished proudly.

"It's Sex Pistols and it's on your shirt, doofus!" Katie yelled.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"I still don't get who you are," Cedric said, confused.

"Katie leapt into an in-depth explanation, complete with biographies and dates of birth. Her eyes bulged as she spoke excitedly. "And that, my friend, is the story of Sid, Nancy, and The Sex Pistols," she ended five minutes later.

"How's a bloke who grew up inthe Wizarding World supposed to remember all that?" Ron muttered to Harry and Cedric, who laughed.

"Sex Pistols? That's a muggle band," said a voice behind them. Hermione came into view and sat down next to Katie. A guy dressed in a tuxedo sat down next to her.

"Hey guys. This is Gideon Reed from Gryffindor." Harry and Ron greeted him warmly while everyone else nodded politely. He greeted them, his hazel eyes shining. Katie burst out laughing.

"Nice costume, Hermione!"

Hermione's hair flowed down past her shoulders onto her bare chest where two pink shells were placed parallel to each other. Her cheeks, however, were pinker. She was wearing a sea green skirt that rippled with scales, due to a charm she had put on it. She was wearing beaded necklaces, green heels, and had seaweed around her shoulders and in parts of her hair.

"You make a great mermaid, Hermione. Don't lsiten to that moron," Christina said, sitting in the last seat, which was next to Harry. The table was now full.

"Let's eat!" They all began to eat, making conversation and laughing as they continuously joked around. The dance was underway.

* * *

Catherine came out of her room carrying a stone basin. She set it down on the table and kneeled down on the floor to face it. Goahr did the same.

"A pensieve? Why do you have a pensieve?"

"Professor Dumbledore gave special permission. He's letting me use it for the course of this year, due to some circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

Catherine ignored her and held out the bottle in her right hand. She pulled out the stopper and poured the bottle's contents into the basin. It was unlike anything Goahr had ever seen. the contents of the basin now swirled around, looking liquid and yet solid. It glowed brightly in her face.

"Wha-"

"Wait," Catherine said.

Catherine raised her wand to her temple. The end of the wand shone brightly. It sarkened as she broke contact with her temple. A few hairs clung to the end of the wand. She poked the basin's contents with her wand and began to move it in a circular motion. A face came into view.

He had blond, closely shaven hair, looked like he was in his twenties, and his green eyes glistened in the pensieve. "I love you," he said in a voice the echoed as if from far away, and as he spoke, Gohar saw a glisten of silver in his mouth: a tongue ring. And suddenly Gohar remembered..

"I've seen him before!"

"You have?" Catherine said, surprised.

"Yeah! First day of classes! Lupin's class, with the boggart! You saw him...in blood," she finished, her voice losing it's enthusiasm. She now looked horror struck.

"I'm glad you remember," Catherine said. She prodded the pernsieve with her wand and a scene began to unfold before thier very eyes. "This is a little more than a year ago," Catherine explained. The pensieve now showed a store that said Dunkin Donuts in bright letters.

"Come on," Catherine said. She took Gohar's hand and they put their faces closer towards the scene until their noses pierced through the murky liquid. The room they were in began to swim around and around as they fell. There was pressure pushing at their heads; darkness reigned; and they continued to fall..

* * *

After eating their fill, Katie got up. "Let's dance!" she exclaimed. He got up, and, taking her hand, they made their way to the dance floor. They began to dance to a fast-paced song.

"You want to dance?" Cedirc asked Susan. "Sure!" They walked slowly to the dancce floor, found Ron and Katie, and began to dance. Hermione, Gideon, Jennifer, and Luke followed suit, leaving Christina and Harry alone at the table.

Christina sighed. "Sucks being alone, doesn't it?"

"Tell me about it," Harry said heavily.

"I'm gonna go get a drink," she said, gesturing to the refreshment table on the other side of the room.

"See ya," he said. Christina stood up.

A few seconds later, somebody was already sitting in her seat. "Hi Harry," the newcomer said. She was dressed as a fairy. Her black hair had been teased into a neat bun. Gold eyeshadow and glitter sparkled on her face. The remainder of her costume-gold shirt, short gold skirt with ruffles, gold heels, and small gold wings-sparkled as well. She took off her gold sparkly mask, although Harry already knew who it was.

"Hey Cho," Harry said,

"You're alone?" she said, her eyes darting around the room as if someone would materialize in between them. She scooted her chair closer to his.

"For the moment."

"What a pity," she said, putting her hand on his arm. Her wrenched his arm out of her grasp. "I'm fine."

"Would you like to dance?"

"No thanks. Not much of a dancer."

"That's allright. I'll teach you," she said, her hand touching his leg seductively with a wink.

"No thanks," he said firmly. He stodd up and left the table without saying a word. He headed towards the refreshment table, hoping to get some firewhiskey to ease his mind. Cho sighed. It was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

Christina stood near the entrance of the garden, drinking firewhiskey. Her head buzzed pleasantly as a warm feeling spread throuighout her body tio the tips of her fingers. She walked towards the refreshment table and put her empty goblet on the table. It disappeared. She was walking towards the garden when she felt a tap on her back.

"Look, buddy-" she began, thinking it was the guy that had been bugging her to dance all night, but instead came face to face with a big hairy bat that leered at her. Christina shrieked loudly and fell back, her head hitting the open door that led to the gardens. Her vision slid in and out of focus in tune with the throbbing coming from the back of her head. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her head. She heard someone say a spell, and with a bang of green light, the bat flew off.

She opened her eyes. A stranger was kneeling down next to her. His blond hair brushed the top of his mask, which was black with veins of burgundy running through them. His dark blue eyes looked at her kindly as he reached a hand out towards her.

"Are you ok?" he asked. His voice sounded soft but powerful.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hit my head, but that's nothing-I hit things all the time. I even smacked into the doors of the Great Hall once this year," she said.

He shuckled, and as he did, Christina saw a pair of fangs protruding from his gums.

"A vampire, huh?" she said as she took his hand and with a powerful grasp, he helped her back to her feet.

"Yeah," he said. Christina glanced at his costume. He was wearing a leather jacket, short sleeve black shirt, dark blue keans, a spiked belt, and black sneakers. Fake blood ran down the side of his mouth.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just got freaked out by the bat. I think I hit my head on the door, though."

"Let me see." He put his hand on her shoulder as he walked towards her back. She heard him mutter something and the pain instantly disappeared. "Thanks."

"No problem." They stood there for a moment, looking each other up and down. It was evident they both liked what they saw. "I like your costume," he said, breaking the silence.

"I love yours. I have an obsession with vampires. They're so hot and romantic." She couldn't help thinking that his cool demeanor was resembling the vampires she constantly read about.

"I think I fit into that category," he said with a smirk.

Christina laughed. "I read about vampires a lot," she said.

"Yeah, me too," he replied.

"Have you read any Muggle books on them? I find them amazing. I love vampire love stories."

"I've read a fair few. The one I like best was called Twilight, I think," he said thoughtfully.

"Oh man, I love you!" There was an awkward silence as he looked at her skeptically.

"Not like that! I mean, there aren't many people here that have read Muggle books."

"That's true. And some people here might ridicule you for liking any Muggle things," he said softy.

"Well, some people are stupid. My friends don't care though. I can like whatever I want," she said bravely.

He looked at her admiringly. "Would you like to dance?" he asked. Something about this girl had captured his attention. He wondered who this amazing girl was, for she didn't seem like anyone he knew.

"I'd love to," she replied softly. Her hopes prior to the dance were coming true, and she felt a spark go up her arm as he took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor.

* * *

The spinning stopped and the darkness disappeared as Catherine and Gohar stood in the middle of a Muggle donut shop. The calendar on the wall read Thursday, August 13.

"So this is your memory?" Gohar asked. Catherine nodded as they walked towards the cashier, sliding through the transparent people that were figments of Catherine's memory. "This is the summer before last," Catherine said as they walked up to the cash register.

_A transparent Catherine was behind the register, her hair in a messy bun, and wearing a shirt and visor that said Dunkin Donuts. "Hello, welcome to Dunkin Donuts, how may I help you?" Catherine said, adjusting her name tag. _Catherine and Gohar stood off to the side as a customer stepped out towards the reguister. Gohar realized who it was with a jolt.

_"Hi, can I have a coffee, a boston creme, and your number, please?" he said, smiling. "Hey Paul," Catherine said, looking up. She scowled slightly but, Gohar noticed, her eyes betrayed her, for they looked like they were amused. _

"He would come in here everyday, buying stuff just so he could try to go out with me. I liked him, but I was scared because he was a Muggle," Catherine whispered to Gohar, smiling.

_Catherine gave him the donut and the coffee. "Five dollars," she said. "And the number?" he asked, handing the money over with ease. "Not a chance," she said, laughing. _

_"I'm going to keep coming in here every day until you give it to me." Catherine sighed. "I know. You've been doing it all month." She lapsed into a silence. "You know what, fine! Here's my number," she said, writing it on a napkin and handing it to him. _

_"How about Saturday, 8 o'clock?" he said. "Sure," she replied, grinning. "Give me your address. I'll pick you up." "NO!" she yelled with such volume that half the shop turned to look at her. "I-I mean-My house is being renovated, so it's a mess," she said. "Meet me at the park a few blocks from here." _

_"Ok," he said. "See you Saturday!" He walked out of the shop with a new spring in his step. Catherine shook her head, chuckling, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Muggles." The next customer stepped up to place an order._

"So then what happened?" Gohar asked. "We went on a date that Saturday. Then we began seriously going out. We fell in love. Then, about six months into our relationship, I was scared it was over."

"Why?" Gohar asked curiously.

"Because six months into our relationship, he figured out I was a witch."

The Dunkin Donuts shop began to swim, the customers' voices, faded away, and they fell into darkness once more.

* * *

Katie swayed to the slow song, her arms around Ron's neck, his arms on her waist. They had been dancing for what seemed like days and they hadn't stopped. She felt content to dance forever, as long as she was with Ron, as long as she was in his arms. She felt like she could do anything as long as he was by her side. She looked into his eyes and knew that his thoughts mirrored her own.

"I love you Nancy," he said. "I love you Sid," she said, smiling. She kissed him softly on the lips.

Off in the distance she could see Christina dancing with someone she didn't recognize, but seeing the look on Christina's face, she realized she had fallen for him. It was the same for her dancing partner. She smiled, happy for her friend. It seemed like magic wasn't the only thing in the air tonight.

A fast paced song began to play, and Katie led Ron smoothly as they continued to dance the night away. After the song ended, they finally agreed on a break and headed towards the refreshment table.

"Firewhiskey!" Ron yelled hoarsely. "Mum's never let me have any, but I'm of age now!" He poured himself and Katie a goblet each. "Cheers Nancy," he said. "Cheers," she replied, grinning. They drank the firewhiskey eagerly, which was refreshing and cool against their dry throats. They continued to drink, making toasts, each one getting more outrageous than the last.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cedric was now back at the table, eating dessert. Susan was off dancing with a friend of hers. The DJ's voice yelled out from the speakers. "This is my last song for tonight! I hope you had fun! Remember, if you ever need a DJ, contact me DJ Fabian!" A song faster than all the others began to play as the crowd danced eagerly. Cedric ate a cookie shaped like a punpkin, looking at his watch. It was 9:20. Right on time. The band, Mischief Managed, was scheduled to play from 9:30 to the end of the dance at midnight.

Luke sat down next to him, sweating. "That Jennifer sure knows how to dance," he said. "She went to get drinks. You ok, man?" Cedric nodded. He was happy for the success of the dance and how much fun his friends were having, but he was bored.

"I'm bored. Not having as much fun as I thought I would," he yelled over the music. The speakers began to blare out a Muggle song.

_You are the sun_

_You are the only one_

_My heart is blue_

_My heart is blue for you_

_Be my _

_Be my_

_Be my little rock n' roll queen_

_Be my_

_Be my_

_Be my little rock n' roll queen_

Cedric envisioned Catherine's face as he heard this. He pictured them dancing and how much fun they would have had. He wished she had come.

"You got it bad for her, huh?" Luke asked.

"Who, Susan?" he asked.

"No stupid," he said impatiently. "Catherine." Cedric came out of his stupor and looked at Luke. "Yeah..I do." Luke looked at him sadly. "Ask her out." "I kind of have...It's complicated," he sighed. Luke waited for an explanation, but Cedric gave none and Luke hastily changed the subject. Cedric' thoughts remained on Catherine, and only Catherine.

* * *

Harry downed another firewhiskey, the buzzing in his head getting ever so louder. "Gone to get us drinks, Harry?" Cho said, appearing next to him and grabbing the goblet out of his hand. "Er--" "Thanks, but I prefer butterbeer" she said after a sip. "Would you like to dance?" He thought it over silently. Maybe she would leave him alone if he said yes.

"Just one," he said. She put her hand in his and steered him to a part of the dance floor where candles were scarce. A fast song was playing and they danced in tune with each other. Slowly, one dance turned into two, two dances turned into three, and so forth. Harry smiled. As long as Cho didn't try anything, this wasn't so bad.

Unfortunately, as soon as he thought this, the song ended through a number of guitar riffs and a slow song. _Give me a love potion, any in the world, and it still won't be as strong as the love I have for you..._the lead singer sang. Harry twitched. "I'm gonna get a drink," he said, moving away from her, thinking of Gohar. He had no desire to dance with Cho to this particular song. "Oh, come on Harry. You have no date, I have no date, what's the big deal?" She grabbed his wrist and he faced her. He was about to retort a reply when he was interrupted by her lips crashing onto his.

* * *

Christina smiled. She was dancing with the stranger. She has been all night. "You're a great dancer. Not many guys I know can dance like this." "Thanks," he said, grinnig. Christina felt a jolt everytime he did. He didn't grin much; he mostly smirked and spoke softly, but she loved it when he did. They danced to the song, whose lyrics and beat were steadily becoming more passionate. Christina felt her high emotions coursing through her veins. He stepped closer to her as the song slowed. She slowly put her arms around his neck. He gently put his hands on her hips, sending a shudder up her spine. They moved closer, and she felt his breath on her face. "You're not a bad dancer yourself," he said. She smiled at him.

They danced, looking at each other, oblivious to the people around them. They were in thier own world. The song ended and a new one began instantly. They saw the people move closer to the stage. Someone jumped on top of the people and began to crowdsurf, but they were too far away to see who it was. "Awesome," Christina said. "Yeah," he agreed. "You want to get a drink?" "Ok," she replied.

They walked over to the refreshment stand. Christina poured herself butterbeer while he helped himself to firewhiskey. "You want to take a walk?" he asked. "Okay."

They finished drinking and walked towards the gardens. "This place looks cool," Christina said, gesturing to a Frankenstein dummy that strolled past them. "They did a good job with it," he said, agreeing. They walked past people making out behind bushes that obscured them from view. They walked past several black cats and mummies. They finally sat down on a bench in the darkest part of the garden and farthest from the doors and banshees.

"So do you like any other Muggle stuff?" he asked. His eyes seemed alight, genuinely interested. "well, I like a lot of Muggle rock music. It's because in New York-where I'm from-we lived in a Muggle neighborhood so I grew up exposed to a lot of Muggle things," she replied.

"So your family's still in New York?"

"Yeah," she said, sighing. "I miss them a lot, especially my sister and brother."

"Oh..that sucks."

"Where's your family live?" she asked.

"We live in a wizarding community in London. It got kind of boring living there after a while, and my parents-" he shrugged and shook his head, cutting himself off-"so the past two summers, I've been staying with a friend of mine. He's really into Muggle stuff, so he kind of rubbed off on me. They're not that bad, Muggles," he said, shrugging. "I kind of grew up learning to hate them because of my parents and stuff they said."

"You shouldn't do or do something just because of your parents!" she said indignantly.

"That's something I've learned in the past two years," he said darkly, grimacing. "So what bands do you like?"

"Uh..Simple PLan. I was kind of obsessed with them a couple years ago. I went to their concert with my best friends and sister. It was so much fun! I've been to other concerts too. Have you been to a Muggle rock concert before?"

"No, me and my friend are planning to go this summer. I've been to Muggle clubs before though. They're fun if you go with a bunch of friends. What other bands do you like?"

"Um..Rise Against, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Lost Prophets, and a lot more, believe me...What about you?"

"Escape the Fate, LoveHateHero, Sustem of a Down, Queen, and some other ones."

"Cool," she said. They continued to talk about things that interested them and things they planned to do after they graduated Hogwarts. They talked for what seemed like hours and discovered they had a lto in common. Christina felt herself falling more and more for this mysterious stranger. There was a short silence as they both sat there, enjoying the moment. He put his arm around her. She turned to look at him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him. "I'm thanking that bat. Because of it I met you." She laughed, unable to look away from his eyes. They looked strangely familiar. He moved himself closer to her and kissed her. She obliged by putting her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. The gardens faded away from her line of vision. He inhaled her perfume as he put his hands in her hair. She drank in his cologne and hugged him to her, moving closer. It was unlike any kiss either of them had ever had. There was a connection, an attraction, and they felt an immense satisfaction when they finally pulled away after several long moments. He gave a big grin and she was sure it reflected her own.

A black cat shrieked past them, twirling through their legs. He jumped three feet into the air. Christina burst out laughing. "You're scared of cats?" she said, clutching her chest from laughter. He sat back down next to her. "I-No-It surprised me," he said shakily. "That's what they all say," Christina said wryly. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm scared of butterflies."

He started to laugh and was unable to stop. "It's all because of my mom! Now I'm terrified of them!" She proceeded to tell a childhood story that included being around tons of butterflies. When she was done, he laughed even harder. Christina silenced him with a kiss, and he silently complied.

* * *

They stopped and walked forward. Gohar guessed it was evening due to the darkness and the streetlights were on. "Where are we?" Gohar asked. "Now this is six months later by this waterfront we used to walk to. It had a beautiful view." As a few buildings shifted, a beautiful view lay in front of them. Across the water, tons of skyscrapers stood perfectly aligned on a mass of land. "That's Manhattan. My favorite palce on earth." "I can see why," Gohar replied. It was a breathtaking view. They walked a few steps and saw Catherine sitting on a bench.

_"Lumos," she muttered, her wand alighting. She stood up and leaned over the fence, looking towards the water. She pointed her wand down at the water, smiling at the sight of the fish swimming beneath it._ Gohar noticed a change in this Catherine: she was happier, smiling more, and seemingly carefree. A sound of footsteps made the three of them turn around.

_"Nox," Catherine muttered, shoving her wand hastily into her back pocket and putting her coat over it. "Hey," she said. "Hey," Paul said, wrapping her into an embrace. She turned back towards the water and he wrapped his arms around her. "I have to tell you something," he said softly. "What is it?" she asked. _

_"I know what you are." _

_She stiffened and stepped away from him. "What do you mean?" she asked coldly._

_"You're a witch." Catherine looked at him, stricken. "What are you talking about?"_

_"Your boarding school. Why you never let me come to your house. Your parents. The owl you keep. The mysterious letters. I just saw your wand a few minutes ago, and I saw you perform magic," he said, sealing the evidence. Catherine took a step back. "Oh shit! The Statute of Secrecy!" she said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "I have to go," she said, walking briskly away from him._

_"Wait!" he called out. She froze. "It doesn't matter, I already knew about the wizarding world." She turned around, mouth dropped. "WHAT?" "My mom's a...a squib. That's all i know. My dad's a muggle and so am I. So I know it exists, but that's it really." Catherine swayed and put a shaky hand out toward the fence to keep herself form falling. _

_"Oh my God."_

_"This doesn't change anything. I just wnated to let you know that I know so that you can be at ease, We don't have to ever talk about it. You don;t have to do anything. And most importantly, it doesn't change the way I feel about you," he said fiercely._

_"It doesn't?"_

_"No. I love you." He took her hand._

_"You do?"_

_"Of course. I can't picture my life without you."_

_"I love you too," she said. He kissed her with such ferocity after this revelation that she took a step back. They pulled away a few moments later and sat down on the bench. She leaned against him. There was a short silence. "You don't know how relieved I am. I don't have to hide anything anymore," she said, taking a deep breath and exhaling shakily._

_"Is that why it took so long for you to go out with me? Cause I was a muggle?" he asked. _

_"Yeah. I was scared of what being with one would be like," she replied. He smiled._

_"I knew you'd fallen for me the first day I'd walked into that store. You can't resist my charms!" she laughed and punched him playfully. "You're modest, aren't you?" They laughed and he kissed her once more. There was another silence as they enjoyed the view in front of them, enjoyed each other's compant, and reveled in the fact that they both loved each other._

_"I'd like to talk about it, actually. There's so much you don't know about me, and now I can tell you!" she said excitingly. "Do tell," he said, wrapping his arms around her. She proceeded to tell her the parts of her life that she'd hidden from her._

"Ready for the last memory?" "Ok," Gohar said eagerly. "What happens in this one?"

"It's our one year anniversary. Paul dies. And it's all my fault." Tears silently poured down her cheeks as a thunderstruck Gohar held her hand. They began to spin once more, for the final and last memory in which everything was to be revealed.

* * *

"To your shoelaces, my good man. May they always keep your from tripping!" Ron said to a guy standing next to him. "Cheers!" Katie said heartily, sloshing half her drink on the floor.

"Sid, I propose a-" "Toast?" he asked eagerly. "No, a dance! Let's go!" They grabbed each others' hands and ran into the dancing crowd. A new song started and guitar riffs blared out from the speakers, along with some catchy lyrics.

_Let's get this started you say_

_We get our friends and we're on our way_

_Hanging out, havin fun_

_This is where you want to be_

_Taking pictures_

_Laughing like crazy_

_Off we go to the place_

_Where our dreams are at, waiting to be found_

Katie and Ron made their way to the front of the crowd and danced with the crowd. They became slightly more sober as they danced. Almost all the students at the dance were dancing now, their happy faces flickering under the candlelight and attraction sizzling through the brisk air coming from the gardens.

"Make sure you catch me!" Katie yelled. "Wha-" Katie jumped up on the stage and then jumped down towards the crowd, who began to hold her up with their hands and move her throughout the dance floor. "Look at her go!" One of the band members yelled. Katie circled the entire crowd then made her way back to the stage. They were now playing their hit single in the Wizarding world entitled "You Can't Catch Me."

"I love you guys!" Katie yelled to the band. "Sing with us," the lead said. Katie took hold of the microphone and proceeded in singing the chorus with him. When the song was done, Katie jumped off the stage, a grin lighting up her entire face. "You. Are. Amazing," Ron said, kissing her. "That was the most exhilarating experience of my life," Katie said in one breath. "Let's get a drink," she said. As they approached the table, Ron said, "How about we lay off the firewhiskey for a while?" "Ok," Katie agreed.

They poured themselves a drink from a small bottle with no label on it. "What do you reckon?" Ronk asked. Katie shrugged, looking at the purple liquid in her goblet. She drank her entire goblet with a gulp. They paused a few seconds , waiting to see if anything would happen. Suddenly, Katie felt a trickle of cold go down her spine. She found her mind as clear as it had been before they'd begun their firewhiskey rampage.

"Try it! It's fine!" Katie said. Ron looked at it warily, then drank. After he was done and the drink had the same effect on him, he said, "What do you think that was?" "I think it's for those who have, ah, drank a little too much. It reverses the effects of alcohol," said a voice behind them. They turned around. Cedric was leaning against the wall, grinning lazily at them. "Good thing we had that, huh?" The three of them laughed. "Good idea, mate," Ron said.

"So you guys having fun?" "Yeah," Katie said."You?" "Yeah, it's ok," he said slowly. A girl came up to him and asked him to dance. "See you guys later," he said, moving towards the dance floor. "You want to go back to the table? I'm bloody starving," Ron said, rubbing his stomach. They headed back towards their table, which was empty besides two people.

"Hey Neville. Hey Luna," Katie said, sitting down. "'Eville. 'Oona," Rona said, already halfway through some treacle tart. "Hey guys," Neville said, nodding his head. "Hello Kathleen. Hello Ronald," Luna said dreamily. "Nice costume, Neville," Katie said, picking up a cupcake. He was wearing dark clothing, a black hat, cape, and mask with a rapier at his side. "Thanks. Zorro," he said proudly.

"Cupcake, Luna?"

"Oh no, there might be dorygunks in there."

"Oh. Right," Katie said, putting the cupcake down. "And-er-Sorry Luna-but what are you?" Katie asked curiously.

"A Crumple-Horned Snorcack, or course," Luna said matter of factly. A gray mask and a horn stuck to her forehead glittered in contrast with the dull gray bits of leather that hung around her in patterns. Ron snorted half of his chocolate pudding up his nose. He wiped it off with his sleeve. "You want to dance, Luna?" Neville asked.

"All right," she said. "Bye!" They stood up and left. "She's mental, that one," Ron said, shaking his head. "She's...interesting," Katies said, for lack of a better word. "Understatement of the year," Ron said, laughing. "Oh, shut up, you," she said playfully. He shrugged and dug his face into more dessert.

* * *

"You're cute," said the sixth year girl dancing with him. "Er-thanks," he said, smiling slightly. They danced for one more song and broke apart. "thanks for the dance," she said. "No problem. See you around." She giggled and walked towards a group of girls. he turned and walked back towards his table. He sat down across from Ron and Katie. "Hey guys."

"Hey Cedric," Katie said. Ron merely nodded, halway through a muffin. "Where's Susan?" "Er...I'm not sure," he said. He looked towards the dance floor and saw her dancing with a Ravenclaw boy. "Off dancing with someone," Cedric said. "She sort of ditched you. That sucks," Katie said sympathetically. "Honestly, I don't care," he said witrh a laugh. "We just came as friends. If she wants to dance with other people, that's fine with me." "Oh," Ron said, surprised. "What time is it?" Katie asked. "About 11:30," Cedric replied. Katie nodded contently. "Let's go dance!" "Ok," Ron replied. "There isn't much left of the night anyway. Let's enjoy it while we can," he said, putting his arm around her waist. "See you later," Ron said. They left, leaving Cedric feeling more alone than ever.

* * *

Harry's mind went oddly blank. A few seconds later, he realized what was happening and he pulled himself away from her. He noticed some people around them giving looks of disbelief. "What are you playing at?" he yelled angrily. Several people stopped dancing to look at them.

"I thought you wanted it too," she blubbered,taking a step closer and putting a hand on his chest. "Get away from me!" he yelled. She stepped back. "What's your problem? You broke up with me fifth year. Now what do you expect? I'm going to crumble in front of you and pretend nothing happened?" His hands formed fists out of anger. A small circle of people had begun to form around them. Silent tears wnet down her face.

"Stop it! I only danced with you cause I thought you would leave me alne. You've been beggind me all night!"

"You do like me! You're too scared to admit it!" she shot back.

"Are you KIDDING me? I'm through with you, with your little games!"

"This is because of that Gohar girl, isn't it?" she said angrily, and her face contorted into a hideous one full of jealousy.

"Yes it is," he said proudly. "She's my girlfriend, and I like her a lot. Get over yourself and move on."

She grimaced and said,"Well it doesnt look like she likes you as much. Otherwise she'd be here right now." Harry's cheek twitched. She'd struck a nerve and she knew it.

"And besides, shes hideous," she said and with a dramatic sniff, she turned and left. Everyone was now staring at him. Harry turned and exited the Great Hall It had been a mistake to come to the dance without Gohar. His hands shook as he walked toward the Gryffindor dormitories, furious with Cho and with himself.

* * *

Christina and the stranger pulled apart from another kiss. "Only a few songs left!" The sound of the band spilled out onto the gardens. "Wanna dance?" "Sure," she said. They stood up. He took her hand and led her inside towards the sound of the music. They danced without stopping. Finally, the last song of the night began to play. The acoustic guitar thrummed a slow passionate song. Christina felt her heart beating crazily against her rib cage as she tried to catch her breath. She drew closer to him as they began to dance.

"So. The last song," Christina said slowly. "Yeah," he said softly. "Tonight was awesome. It went way better than I thought it would," she said. "Same here." The song reached the chorus. They were silent as the song slowly reached the end. As the last chords of the song played, a ripple of voices tore through the crowd. "I hope you had fun. Happy halloween," Cedric's voice said through the microphone. People broke apart on the dance floor in search of their friends and some people began to leave. The two of them pulled apart.

He stiffened."I've got to go," he said with a sneer. "Wait!" This couldn't be the end, could it? They'd been through so much and she felt something strong between them. Had this night meant so little that it would stay just that, a night? He looked at her, his eyes at the moment vulnerable. _Those eyes..._"Tonight was amazing. I really like you. I would ask you out, but if you knew who I _really _was...All the things I told you today? You're the only one who knows them. Today, I showed you who I am because...you seemed different, somehow, from the others. But besides today..It's like I wear a mask...I'm a fake..You wouldn't want me." There was a silence as Christina contemplated this.

"It doesn't matter. Just show everyone who you are. What have you got to lose?" His expression was blank as he said," Everything. But promise me something. Meet me at the next dance, whenever it may be. There will be no masks. And then you'll see who I am. If you still like me, we can be together." Christina nodded, perplexed. "But will I recognize you? I don't know anything: your name, your House, your friends, anything to do with Hogwarts that can give me a clue as to who you are! We might have a class together and not know it!" she said.

"I know. But we'll recognize each other. I know it," he said. She looked into his eyes and knew he was right. He put his hands on hers and pulled her closer to hin. He pulled her into a long deep kiss. When they pulled away, it was clear that neither of them wanted to leave. Almost the entire Great Hall had cleared out by now.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" Christina said hesitantly. "For now," she added. "Deifnitely," she said. They walked out of the Great Hall together, then separated and went off in opposite directions as they reached a corridor. They both kept casting looks over their shoulder until they had both disappeared from view. But it didn't mean they had disappeared from each other's thoughts, and they both had restlness nights, barely sleeping, and instead thinking about the amazing night they had shared with each other.

* * *

The view around Catherine and Gohar had cleared.

_The sunlight was slowly dimming and the big clock on a building read 6:30. Catherine entered the restaurant next to them, sitting down next to the window. She was wearing a casuial red dress that hung off her shoulders and went down to her knees. She looked at the menu impatiently, repeateadly looking at the seat across from her, which was empty. Her cell phone rung and she hurriedly picked it up._

_"Paul? Where are you? Yeah, I'm here. Overtime?" There was a pause. "You'll try to get out early won't you? Ok. I love you." At these last three words, she shone a smile so birght it could have competed with the sun._

"He was running late. His boss was trying to keep him overtime. I told him to try to hurry. And he finally got out of overtime. but..." Catherine stopped, unable to go on. Gohar found out why a few minutes later.

_An earsplitting screech was heard a few blocsk away followed by a hairraising crash. With a bang, people came out of the stores and buildings to see what was going on. A crowd formed and began to walk towards the source of the noise. _Catherine and Gohar ran along with them. The Catherine in the memory was in the crowd as well. _She was on her cell phone. _"I was trying to call him. He wouldn't pick up," Catherine explained. Her tears had gone and she seemed to be trying to keep herself calm. They walked two blocks before they saw the source of the noise.

_A car lay upside down in the middle of an intersection. Another car was perpendicular to it with a dent in its' hood. Another small crowd had gathered around the cars. Catherine gasped as she recognized the upseide down car. It was Paul's. She dropped her cell phone and ran towards the car, her red heels clacking in the silence that had settled uneasily in the crowd. _Catherine and Gohar ran as well.

_An unshaven man with unfocused eyes stood next to the brown jeep with the dent. Paul lay next to his car, whose windows were shattered and dents covered one side of the car. "Paul!" Catherine yelled. Paul sat up, grimacing. His white shirt was stained with scarlet blood near his upper chest. "Catherine," he said softly. "I got out of overtime."_

_"Yeah. I can see that, Paul," she said shakily. _

_"What happened?" she said to the man next to Paul, who was bandaging the cut on his forehead. "it was his light. He was just driving, when a car from that side ran a red light and crashed into him as he crossed the intersection. And the worst thing-that idiot over there is high," he said angrily. "Disgraceful." "Catherine," Paul said. "Yeah, in here, Paul," she said, grasping his hand. _

_"That cut is pretty deep,. He got cut by glass," the man continued. "By the way, I'm Steve." "Catherine." Paul coughed and bood spilled out of his mouth. Tears rushed down her face with an amazing speed. The sound of sirens announced the arrival of two police cars and an ambulance. The workers in the ambulance jumped out and ran towards Paul. They began to examine him. A pair of police officers went over to interrogate the man standing next to the jeep. He was handcuffed a few minutes later. Another pair came over towards them and took Steve a few feet away to ask him questions. The workers put Paul on to a stretcher and Catherine walked briskly with him. "Catherine," Paul said. His breathing was short and shallow. "Sorry about dinner. Rain Check?" "Don't worry about it," Catherine said, smiling through her tears._

_They loaded him onto the ambulance. "I'm sorry. You can't come on." "I'm his girlfriend, I'm getting on!" she said with a snarl and before they could protest, she was by his side clutching his hand. They inserted several needles connected to tubes and machines into his arm. One of them ripped his shirt open, and taking hold of a sharp utensil, proceeded to take glass out of his chest._

_"Judging his breathing, I'd say he has a cracked or broken rib," another said. Paul coughed and more blood issued from his mouth. "Don't cry," Paul said, looking at her. "I love you." She smiled softly. "I love you too." He coughed loudly, his hand digging into his pocket. He pulled out a box and opened it. _

_"Are you-" she asked, her eyes wide. He slid the ring on her finger. "A promise ring. I love you and I want to be with you always." "I love you, and I WILL be with you always," Catherine replied firmly. He went into a coughing fit and couldn't speak. "You're going to get through this. We have so many plans, remember? When I'm done with school, we're going to live together. And then one day..when we're ready, we'll get married." He appeared not to hear her; he only cooughed. The doctors urgently yelleed out orders for medicine and immediately inserted it into the IV._

_"Can't breathe," he wheezed and his eyes slid out of focus. "Catherine. I love you. Don't cry. Be happy," he said slowly and painstakingly. He breathed in slowly and did not exhale. "No." Catherine stared in front of her, refusing to believe. "No. Do something!" She yelled. They attempted to revive him, but did not succeed. "NO!" She shrieked. _She sobbed as they were pulled upwards out of the pensieve and on to the couch, Gohar heard the real Catherine doing the same.

* * *

"The dance was fun," Katie said, exiting the Great Hall with Ron at her side. "It was a lot of fun," Ron agreed. "But you know, just cause the dance is over, it doesn't mean the night is," Katie said mischievously. "What are you suggesting?" Ron asked, eyes alight. She whispered into his ear and he smiled. "Let's go," he said, taking her hand.

They arrived at the Astornomy Tower a few minutes later. "I love this place," Katie said. "Yeah, me too," he replied. "And the best part is...we're all alone," she said slowly. "Yup." She leaned over the tower, looking down at the grounds. He wrapped his arms around her. They enjoyed the view silently, knowing that at this moment, nothing needed to be said. Their love spoke volumes. They stayed there all night, talking, laughing, and kissing. They fell asleep aggainst each other by the wall next to the staircase just as the sun began to rise.

* * *

"Finite Incantatem," Cedric muttered, waving his wand around the room. He slowly undid all the charms he and Catherine had palced on the Great Hall. He cleared the Great Hall of all Halloween decorations. "Happy Halloween," he muttered. He replaced the teachers' table and the four long tables where the different Houses sat. He sat down at one of them, thinking about how the dance had gone, grimacing at some parts and smiling at others.

* * *

"Catherine?" Gohar asked quietly. Catherine took a moment to compose herself and wiped the tears off her face, her back to Gohar. She turned around and looked at Gohar, her face blank. She looked defeated, broken, tired. Gohar, at a loss for words, did the one thing she could think of, and hugged her. The hug sent a silent message to Catherine: I'm here for you. "Thanks," Catherine said. Shortly after, they pulled away.

"So now you know. It was too painful to stay out there. Too many memories. Everywhere I went. So my parents agreed to let me come here to Hogwarts." "Wow," Gohar said softly. "I'm so sorry, Catherine. It's not fair that this happened to you guys. You seemed so happy. Whatyou guys had was true love," she said. Catherine shrugged. "It's all my fault he's gone," she said. "What? How?" "I told him to try and get out of overtime," Catherine said.

"Catherine, that's stupid and you know it! He was trying to get out of overtime, no matter what you said," Gohar said firmly. "I know," Catherine sighed. "It's just...I keep feeling like it's my fault. If I hadn't agreed to go out with him, had just said no, he'd be alive!" "It's not your fault," Gohar said. "It was an accident. If it's anyone's fault, it's that moron who got high and crashed."

"It was worst that first month. Waking up, expecting his call, not seeing him pick me up after work. I still can't beleve he's gone. It just seems...surreal. But I've been getting better, I guess. It's hard..I love him so much. I've been trying to deal with it, accept it, and move on. It's getting easier because of Hogwarts. My friends here are amazing and I know you guys will help me get through this." "You should tell the rest of them," Gohar said.

"It feels so good to have told you. I don't have to lie, to pretend. I think I'll tell Katie and Christina sometime this weekend, while I'm on a roll." "What about Cedric?" "He's the problem...I don't want him to know. At least...not yet. I think it'll be weird. And the thing is, sine the second I got here, he's been so nice to me. And I think I'm starting to like him. He reminds me so much of Paul sometimes...But I feel weird, because I loved-still love-Paul, I feel like I'm betraying him or something and I don't know what to do."

"Take your time. It's going to take time to he, understand that. But either way, you're not betraying him. He'd want you to be happy," Gohar relied. "Yeah. I know. Everything's just so confusing." "I know. But don't worry. I'm here." "I know," Catherine said, hugging her. "Thanks." As they pulled back, Gohar thought about how a lot of things involving Catherine now made sense. The boggart. How she had attacked Malfoy when he had scorned Muggles. Why she liked Muggle stuff so much.

"It means a lot to me that you came tonight. I know you were looking forward to going to the dance with Harry." "Dance, shmance. This is more important. After all, there will be other dances. Right?" she added menacingly. Catherine smiled. "Definitely." The painting swung open and Cedric walked in, disgruntled.

"Hey guys," he said. "Hey Cedric," they chorused. Gohar looked at the time. "It's one! I'd better go!" she said, getting up. She looked at Catherine worriedly. "I'll be fine," Catherine said with a wave of her hand. "If you need me, you know where to find me," she said, leaving.

"Everything ok?" Cedric asked. "Yeah. So how was the dance?"

"Kind of boring," he said, taking off his mask. "Susan bored you?" Catherine asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, she sort of ditched me halfway through and danced with some other guy."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. I don't really mind. I wish you'd come though, it would have been more fun."

Catherine shrugged. "The next one, I promise," she said.

"Promise?"

"Yeah." And as he smiled kindly at her, she felt her stomach lurch and caught herself smiling back at him.

Gohar was right. It was all about time. She needed time to heal. But they had plenty of it.

* * *

**A/N: I spent a lot fo time on this chapter lol. REVIEW!**

**Next Chapter: Aftermath of dance, First Quidditch Game, and Fights..**


End file.
